Word information
Simplified腰斩
Traditional腰斬
Pinyinyāo zhǎn
Part of speechDictionary
HSK 3.0Not listed
HSK 2.0Not listed
Chinese word dictionary
腰斩
yāo zhǎn · to chop sb in half at the waist (capital punishment); to cut sth in half; to reduce sth by a dramatic margin
Character breakdown
Study each Hanzi separately, then return to the complete word so pronunciation, meaning, and movement stay connected.
How to learn 腰斩
Listen once without reading, repeat the pinyin with its tones, then write every character in sequence. Finally, recall the complete meaning instead of memorizing each character as an isolated translation.
When the word appears in a sentence, check whether its part of speech and meaning match the definition shown here. Chinese words can change nuance with context.
Related vocabulary
Words with the same characters
Compare how a familiar Hanzi changes meaning inside another word.
腰yāo
the waist and lower back; (bound form) kidney of an animal (as food); the waist of trousers or a skirt; (metonym) money pouch; pocket; (bound form) the middle section of an upright object (mountain, bottle etc)
掏腰包tāoyāobāoto dip into one's pocket; to pay out of pocket; to foot the bill
斩zhǎnto behead (as form of capital punishment); to chop
斩钉截铁zhǎndīng-jiétiělit. to chop the nail and slice the iron (idiom); fig. resolute and decisive; unhesitating; categorical