减

減
jiǎn
#855 most
frequent character
subtract, reduce, decrease, cut
verb

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

减 has 咸 xián as the sound part. The left part 冫 was once 氵 water, which hinted at the first meaning, to lose water. The meaning then grew to lower or decrease, and then to reduce or subtract.

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Example Sentences

你能帮我减一下这道题的分数吗？
nǐ néng bāng wǒ jiǎn yīxià zhè dào tí de fēnshù ma ？
Can you help me reduce the score of this problem?
我每天都要减肥，保持健康。
wǒ měitiān dūyào jiǎnféi ， bǎochí jiànkāng 。
I need to lose weight every day to stay healthy.
我们要减小生产成本以提高利润。
wǒmen yào jiǎnxiǎo shēngchǎn chéngběn yǐ tígāo lìrùn 。
We need to reduce production costs to increase profits.

Words with similar meanings

减去jiǎnqù
subtract
This term specifically means to perform the action of subtraction, often used in mathematical contexts.
削减xuējiǎn
cut down
This term implies reducing something significantly, often used in contexts like budget cuts or reducing resources.
降低jiàngdī
lower
This term suggests a decrease in level or intensity, often applied to prices or standards.

Homophones

HSK 5
捡jiǎn
to pick up, to collect, to gather
HSK 6
拣jiǎn
to choose, to pick, to sort out
剪jiǎn
cut, clip, trim, wipe out, scissors
简jiǎn
simple, uncomplicated, letter
检jiǎn
to check, to examine, to inspect

Words Starting With 减

减少jiǎn shǎo
to lessen; to decrease; to reduce; to lower
减肥jiǎn féi
to lose weight

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