断 duàn
- Strokes
- 11
- Radical
- 斤 — axe
- How it's built
- Ideograph — the meaning is built from its parts
断章取义
duànzhāngqǔyì
to quote out of context; to distort by taking out of context
Characters in this word
章 zhāng
- Strokes
- 11
- Radical
- 立 — to stand
- How it's built
- Ideograph — the meaning is built from its parts
义 yì
- Strokes
- 3
- Radical
- 丿 — falling stroke
- How it's built
- Phono-semantic — one part hints at the meaning, another at the sound
Example phrases
- 你别断章取义，我的意思不是那样的。 Nǐ bié duànzhāng qǔyì, wǒ de yìsi bú shì nàyàng de. Don't take my words out of context; that is not what I meant.
- 报道断章取义，让大家误会了他的本意。 Bàodào duànzhāng qǔyì, ràng dàjiā wùhuì le tā de běnyì. The report quoted him out of context and made everyone misunderstand his real meaning.
- 引用别人的话时，不能断章取义。 Yǐnyòng biérén de huà shí, bù néng duànzhāng qǔyì. When quoting other people, you must not quote out of context.
Related words
- 不断 búduàn continuously; nonstop
- 断 duàn to break; to cut off
- 判断 pànduàn to judge
- 诊断 zhěnduàn to diagnose; diagnosis
- 中断 zhōngduàn to interrupt; to break off
- 当机立断 dāngjīlìduàn to make a prompt decision; to act decisively
- 断定 duàndìng to conclude; to assert
- 断断续续 duànduànxùxù intermittent; off and on
- 断绝 duànjué to cut off; to sever
- 断裂 duànliè to fracture; to break
- 断然 duànrán firm; resolute; absolutely
- 果断 guǒduàn decisive; resolute