拆 meaning and stroke order
To tear open; to tear down; to tear apart
How to write 拆, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 拆
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to tear open
- to tear down
- to tear apart
- to open
How 拆 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 斥 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 拆
拆 is a hand 扌 next to 斥 (chì), which gives the sound. Picture a hand pulling something apart, like ripping open a package.
拆 is used for opening sealed things like letters and packages, and for taking down buildings or machines. It also appears in words like 拆迁 (chāiqiān) for demolition and relocation, often seen painted on old walls in Chinese cities. Example: 他把快递拆开了。(Tā bǎ kuàidì chāikāi le.) He opened the package.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 拆 with 折 (zhé, to fold or break). 拆 has 斥 on the right, with an extra dot under the horizontal strokes, while 折 has 斤 with no dot.
Common words with 拆
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
拆 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 拆
How many strokes are in 拆?
拆 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 拆 mean?
拆 (chāi) means to tear open; to tear down; to tear apart. A common word with it is 拆除 (chāichú), meaning "to tear down; to demolish".
How do you pronounce 拆?
拆 is pronounced chāi, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 拆?
The radical of 拆 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 拆 under this radical.
Is 拆 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 拆 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 拆 mean when written on a building in China?
A large 拆 painted on a wall means the building is scheduled for demolition. It is linked to the process called 拆迁 (chāiqiān), where residents move out before the building is torn down.
How is 拆穿 different from just saying 拆?
拆 alone is physical, like opening or tearing down something. 拆穿 (chāichuān) is figurative and means to expose a lie or trick, as in 拆穿谎言 (chāichuān huǎngyán), to expose a lie.