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jiǎn

reduce; subtract

Usage note

用来表示少或扣除的意思,常用于日常生活中计算物品数量或价格。

jiǎn lái yòng lái bǎo shí jiǎn huò dé yì sī , cháng yòng yú rì kāi shēn qíng lǐ kè suàn wù pǐn shù liàng huò jià gé 。

减 is used to indicate reduction or subtraction, commonly found in daily life when calculating the quantity of items or prices.

Context note

常用于购物、计算和日常对话中。例如,买水果时称重后可能会说:‘这个苹果要去一元。’

jiǎn cháng yòng yú mǎo shù 、 kà suàn hé rì kāi dào huà zhōng 。 rú guǒ , mǎi shuǐ guǒ shí chēng zhòng hòu néng huì shuō : ‘ zhè gè píng guǒ yào jiǎn qù yī yuán 。’

减 is commonly used in shopping, calculations, and daily conversations. For example, when weighing fruit, you might say: 'This apple needs to be reduced by one yuan.'

5 examples

这个苹果要去一元。
zhè ge píng guǒ yào jiǎn qù yì yuán。
This apple needs to be reduced by one yuan.
每天少一点糖。
měi tiān jiǎn shǎo yì diǎn táng。
Reduce the sugar a little every day.
去这个费用。
jiǎn qù zhè ge fèi yòng。
Subtract this fee.
每天的开支要少。
měi tiān de kāi zhī yào jiǎn shǎo。
Daily expenses should be reduced.
去这个项目。
jiǎn qù zhè ge xiàng mù。
Remove this project.

5 mini stories

妈妈每天早上都会给我一个苹果,但今天她给了我两个,所以我要把其中一个掉。
mā ma měi tiān zǎo shàng dōu huì gěi wǒ yí gè píng guǒ, dàn jīn tiān tā gěi le wǒ liǎng gè, suǒ yǐ wǒ yào bǎ qí zhōng yí gè jiǎn diào。
Mom would give me one apple every morning, but she gave me two today. So I need to subtract one.
爸爸说这个月的开支要少,所以我们决定少吃一些零食。
bà bà shuō zhè ge yuè de kāi zhī yào jiǎn shǎo, suǒ yǐ wǒ men jué dìng shǎo chī yì xiē líng shí。
Dad said that our expenses this month need to be reduced, so we decided to eat less snacks.
我们去超市买水果,称重后发现苹果要价。
wǒ men qù chāo shì mǎi shuǐ guǒ, chēng zhòng hòu fā xiàn píng guǒ yào jiǎn jià。
We went to the supermarket to buy fruit, and after weighing it, we found that the apples were on sale.
妈妈让我每天少吃一点糖,这样可以掉一些体重。
mā ma ràng wǒ měi tiān shǎo chī yì diǎn táng, zhè yàng kě yǐ jiǎn diào yì xiē tǐ zhòng。
Mom told me to eat less sugar every day, which can help reduce my weight.
我们去旅行,计划每天少一些开支。
wǒ men qù lǚ xíng, jì huà měi tiān jiǎn shǎo yì xiē kāi zhī。
We are going on a trip and plan to reduce our expenses each day.

Mini dialogue

减少零食

A
你应该一点糖。
Nǐ yīnggāi jiǎn yīdiǎn táng.
You should reduce the sugar a little.
B
好的,糖对身体好。
Hǎo de, jiǎn táng duì shēntǐ hǎo.
Okay, reducing sugar is good for health.

减法

A
三等于多少?
Shí jiǎn sān děngyú duōshao?
What is ten minus three?
B
三等于七。
Shí jiǎn sān děngyú qī.
Ten minus three equals seven.

Related words and contrasts

similar
shǎo
less; fewer

减 focuses on the action of reducing, while 少 describes the state of being less.

opposite
jiā
add; increase

减 means to subtract or reduce, the opposite of 加 (to add).

similar
去掉
qù diào
remove; take away

减 can mean to take away part of something, similar to 去掉.

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