Meaning of 拒绝
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to refuse; to decline; to reject
How to use 拒绝
拒绝 is a common verb for turning down a request, an invitation, an offer, or a person. It can take a direct object or stand alone, and it often appears in fixed phrases like 拒绝邀请 (refuse an invitation). Example: 她拒绝了我的邀请。 (Tā jùjué le wǒ de yāoqǐng.) She declined my invitation.
拒 (jù) has the hand radical 扌 next to 巨, so picture a hand pushing something away. 绝 (jué) has the silk radical 纟, like cutting a thread to end a connection, so together they mean pushing away and cutting off: to refuse.
Common mistake: Learners often write 拒 as 距 (jù, distance), which has the foot radical 足 instead of the hand 扌. Both sound the same, so remember that you refuse with your hand. Also keep 绝 in the second tone, jué, not the third-tone jiǎo.
拒绝 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
拒 jù · to defend · 7 strokes
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绝 jué · to cut short · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 拒绝.
| 绝对 | juéduì | absolute; unconditional |
| 绝望 | juéwàng | to despair; to give up all hope |
| 绝大多数 | jué dàduōshù | the vast majority |
| 抗拒 | kàngjù | to resist; to defy |
| 灭绝 | mièjué | to become extinct; to die out; to lose (sth abstract) completely |
| 绝招 | juézhāo | unique skill; unexpected tricky move (as a last resort) |
| 绝技 | juéjì | consummate skill; supreme feat |
| 滔滔不绝 | tāotāo-bùjué | (idiom) to produce a torrent of words; to talk on and on |
| 杜绝 | dùjué | to put an end to |
| 绝缘 | juéyuán | to have no contact with; to be cut off from |
| 络绎不绝 | luòyì-bùjué | (idiom) continuously; in an endless stream |
| 赞不绝口 | zànbùjuékǒu | (idiom) can't stop praising |
Questions about 拒绝
What does 拒绝 mean?
拒绝 (jùjué) means "to refuse; to decline; to reject" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 拒绝?
拒绝 is made of 2 characters: 拒 (7 strokes), 绝 (9 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 拒绝 an HSK word?
Yes. 拒绝 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 拒绝 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 拒绝 is written 拒絕.
What is the difference between 拒绝 and 不要?
不要 (bú yào) simply means 'don't want' and is casual and everyday. 拒绝 is a clear act of refusing something offered or requested, and it sounds more formal and deliberate.
How do I politely refuse something in Chinese without saying 拒绝?
Saying 我拒绝 directly can sound harsh in conversation. People usually soften it with phrases like 不用了，谢谢 (bú yòng le, xièxie) 'no need, thanks' or 不好意思，我不太方便 (bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ bú tài fāngbiàn) 'sorry, it's not convenient for me'.