Learn Chinese Characters

Meaning

to tear open; to tear down; to tear apart; to open

Hear the Four Tones

The same syllable “chai” becomes a different word in each tone. 拆 is the 1st tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.

Stroke Order

Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.

Common Words

  • 拆除chāi chúto tear down; to demolish; to dismantle; to remove
  • 拆迁chāi qiānto demolish a building and relocate the inhabitants
  • 拆下chāi xiàto dismantle; to take apart
  • 拆用chāi yòngto tear down and reuse; to cannibalize
  • 拆家chāi jiā(slang) low-level drug dealer; (slang) (of a pet) to wreck the house (scattering trash, chewing on furniture etc)

Example Sentence

工人们正在拆这座旧房子。Gōng rén men zhèng zài chāi zhè zuò jiù fáng zi.The workers are demolishing this old house.

工人Gōng rénworkermen(plural marker)zhèngfirst month of the lunar yzàiatchāito tear openzhèthiszuòseatjiùold房子fáng zihouse