撤 meaning and stroke order
To remove; to take away
How to write 撤, stroke by stroke
15 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 撤
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to remove; to take away
How 撤 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 撤
撤 is built from three side-by-side parts: 扌 (hand), 育 (yù, to raise), and 攵 (a hand holding a stick, an action sign). Picture a hand reaching in and taking something away, which gives the meaning to remove or withdraw.
撤 rarely stands alone in daily speech. It usually appears in two-character words like 撤离 (chèlí), 撤销 (chèxiāo) and 撤退 (chètuì), often in news, legal, or military contexts. Example: 警察让大家马上撤离。(Jǐngchá ràng dàjiā mǎshàng chèlí.) The police told everyone to evacuate right away.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 撤 with 澈 (chè, clear water) and 徹/彻 (chè, thorough), which share the same sound and similar right side. Remember that only 撤 has the hand radical 扌, because removing is something you do with your hands.
Common words with 撤
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 撤离 | chèlí | to withdraw from; to evacuate | HSK 6 |
| 撤销 | chèxiāo | to cancel; to revoke; to rescind; (computing) to undo | HSK 6 |
| 撤换 | chèhuàn | to dismiss and replace (sb); to replace (sb or sth) | HSK 7-9 |
| 撤退 | chètuì | to retreat | |
| 撤回 | chèhuí | to recall; to revoke | |
| 撤出 | chèchū | to withdraw; to leave | |
| 撤走 | chèzǒu | to retire; to remove | |
| 撤消 | chèxiāo | variant of 撤銷|撤销[che4 xiao1] | |
| 撤掉 | chèdiào | to cut; to throw out | |
| 撤诉 | chèsù | to drop a lawsuit |
撤 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 撤
How many strokes are in 撤?
撤 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 撤 mean?
撤 (chè) means to remove; to take away. A common word with it is 撤离 (chèlí), meaning "to withdraw from; to evacuate".
How do you pronounce 撤?
撤 is pronounced chè, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 撤?
The radical of 撤 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 撤 under this radical.
Is 撤 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 撤 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 撤销 and 撤消?
They mean the same thing, to cancel or revoke. 撤消 is listed as a variant of 撤销, and 撤销 is the standard form you should use. It is also the word for undo on a computer.
How is 撤退 different from 撤离?
撤退 (chètuì) means to retreat, usually used for armies or forces pulling back. 撤离 (chèlí) means to leave or evacuate a place, often for safety, and is common for ordinary people in emergencies.