削

2 readings · tap one to hear it

to peel with a knife; to pare; to cut (a ball at tennis etc)

Sound it out + + = · + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

刂 meaning “knife” + 肖 sound ( xiào )

Components 肖刂

peel · Heisig RSH #129

saber + sparks

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
削职为民	xuē zhí wéi mín	demotion to commoner (idiom)
下旋削球	xià xuán xiāo qiú	(golf, tennis) undercut
刀削面	dāo xiāo miàn	knife-shaved noodles (pared or shaved into strips), a Shanxi specialty
削发	xuē fà	to shave one's head; fig. to become a monk or nun; to take the tonsure
削球	xiāo qiú	(sport) to chop; to cut
削波	xuē bō	clipping (signal processing)
削铅笔机	xiāo qiān bǐ jī	pencil sharpener (mechanical or electric)
削价	xuē jià	to cut down the price
切削	qiē xiāo	to cut; cutting; machining
削职	xuē zhí	demotion; to have one's job cut
削除	xuē chú	to remove; to eliminate; to delete
削足适履	xuē zú shì lǚ	to cut the feet to fit the shoes (idiom); to force sth to fit (as to a Procrustean bed); i…
被剥削者	bèi bō xuē zhě	person suffering exploitation; the workers in Marxist theory
剥削者	bō xuē zhě	exploiter (of labor)
削尖	xiāo jiān	to sharpen
削减	xuē jiǎn	to cut down; to reduce; to lower
减削	jiǎn xuē	to reduce; to cut down
剥削阶级	bō xuē jiē jí	exploiting class (in Marxist theory)
削铅笔	xiāo qiān bǐ	to sharpen a pencil
削弱	xuē ruò	to weaken; to impair; to cripple

Characters sharing the sound component 肖 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
肖 sound part	xiào	to resemble, to look like; to be like
消	xiāo	news, rumors; to die out, to melt away, to vanish
销	xiāo	to fuse, to melt; to market, to sell
哨	shào	to whistle; to chirp
硝	xiāo	saltpeter; to tan leather
屑	xiè	bits, crumbs, scraps; fragments; not worthwhile
宵	xiāo	night, evening, darkness
鞘	qiào	scabbard, sheath
梢	shāo	the tip of a branch; rudder
悄	qiǎo	quiet, silent, still; anxious
筲	shāo	basket, bucket
蛸	shāo	octopus; long-legged spider; mantis nest
峭	qiào	steep, precipitous, rugged
逍	xiāo	to ramble, to stroll; to jaunt, to loiter
捎	shāo	to carry, to take; to select
艄	shāo	the stern of a ship
魈	xiāo	mischievious mountain spirit
诮	qiào	to scold, to blame; to ridicule, to criticize
绡	xiāo	raw silk