删 shān to delete
How to remember 删: 册 book + 刂 knife = to delete. The angry author grabs her printed book and a knife and cuts out the whole chapter her editor told her to delete.
Component breakdown
删 = 册 book + 刂 knife
- 册 book
- 刂 knife
The angry author grabs her printed book and a knife and cuts out the whole chapter her editor told her to delete.
How it is used
- Everyday verb for digital deletion: 删除 shānchú "to delete" (files, messages, apps) is the standard word you'll see in every app's UI.
- 删 alone is used casually too - 删了吧 (shān le ba) "just delete it".
- Distinct from 擦 cā "to erase/wipe (physically, e.g. a whiteboard)" - 删 is specifically for digital or textual removal.