verb HSK 5
Traditional 削減
xuē jiǎn
to cut · to reduce · to slash (expenses, budget)

Meaning

削减 means to cut down or reduce something, especially in an official or significant way. It's commonly used in formal contexts for cutting budgets, expenses, staff, or production. The word combines 削 (to pare down) and 减 (to reduce), creating a strong sense of deliberate reduction or downsizing.

Usage

This is a formal term typically used in business, government, and news contexts. It implies a substantial or official reduction rather than a casual decrease. Common in phrases about cost-cutting, budget reductions, and downsizing. More formal than simple 减少 (jiǎn shǎo).

Examples

  1. 01
    公司决定削减百分之二十的开支。
    Gōng jué dìng xuē jiǎn bǎi fēn zhī èr shí de kāi zhī.
    The company decided to cut expenses by twenty percent.
  2. 02
    政府计划削减军事预算。
    Zhèng huà xuē jiǎn jūn shì suàn.
    The government plans to reduce the military budget.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 削减成本
    xuē jiǎn chéng běn
    to cut costs
  • 削减预算
    xuē jiǎn suàn
    to cut the budget
  • 削减开支
    xuē jiǎn kāi zhī
    to cut expenses
  • 大幅削减
    xuē jiǎn
    to drastically cut

Antonyms

Origin

Both characters relate to reduction: 削 originally meant to shave or whittle down with a knife, while 减 means to subtract or decrease. Together they emphasize purposeful, often substantial cutting.

Related