折 zhé break
break; to fold; discount
How to remember 折: 扌 hand + 斤 catty = break. The camper holds a small log with one hand, barely a catty in weight, but even with the axe the wood simply will not break.
Component breakdown
折 = 扌 hand + 斤 catty
- 扌 hand
- 斤 catty
The camper holds a small log with one hand, barely a catty in weight, but even with the axe the wood simply will not break.
How it came to be
An axe, with a tree cut clean through beside it. The oldest forms draw the two halves apart, one above the other. The gap between them is the character.
How it is used
- Several senses: 'break/snap', 'fold/bend', and 'discount'. 打折 (dǎzhé) = to give a discount: 打八折 (dǎ bā zhé) = 20% off (you pay 80%).
- Note the discount math is inverted from English: 打折 counts what you PAY, so 五折 = half price. 折扣 (zhékòu) = a discount.
- 挫折 (cuòzhé) = a setback; 折 also means to fold (paper) and read zhē in some spoken senses (折腾).
Characters built with 折
Words with 折
- 打折dǎzhésell at a discountHSK 4
- 折扣zhékòudiscountHSK 5
- 挫折cuòzhésetbackHSK 6
- 周折zhōuzhétwists and turnsHSK 7
- 存折cúnzhépassbookHSK 7
- 折合zhéhéto convert intoHSK 7
- 转折zhuǎnzhéshift in the trend of eventsHSK 7
- 转折点zhuǎnzhédiǎnturning pointHSK 7
- 不折不扣bùzhé-búkòua hundred percentHSK 8
- 折叠zhédiéto foldHSK 8
- 折射zhéshèto refractHSK 8
- 折磨zhémóto tormentHSK 8
- 折腾zhētengto toss from side to side (e.g. sleeplessly)HSK 8
- 曲折qūzhéwindingHSK 9
- 波折bōzhétwists and turnsHSK 9
- 骨折gǔzhéto suffer a fractureHSK 9
Example sentences
- 这家商店在打折。 Zhè jiā shāngdiàn zài dǎzhé.This shop is giving discounts.