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决

決
jué
verb #3,969

Meanings

  1. 1 to decide; to determine
  2. 2 definitely; certainly
  3. 3 to execute (a prisoner)

Examples

你决定了吗？
Nǐ juédìng le ma?
Have you decided?
我决不放弃。
Wǒ juébù fàngqì.
I will never give up.
解决问题是第一步。
Jiějué wèntí shì dìyī bù.
Solving the problem is the first step.

Tips

usage
决 is used in: 决定 (to decide), 解决 (to solve), 决心 (determination), 决赛 (final match), 决不/决没 (absolutely not). It expresses finality and resolution.

Components

radical
冫 bīng
ice (two-stroke)
Left ice radical, two short strokes representing ice crystals — the abbreviated form of 冰. In simplified 决 (from traditional 決) the original water radical 氵 was reduced to 冫. It supplies the same meaning either way: to break a dam, to let water burst its banks. From breaking water came 'to decide, settle, resolve' — once the dam is cut, there is no going back.
phonetic
夬 guài
to break off; resolve
Right 夬 supplies the sound — guài shifted to jué, regular Old Chinese velar/palatal alternation in this series. 夬 also pictures a hand breaking something off, which is the very image behind 决: cleaving the dam, deciding the matter. Same series 缺 (chipped), 诀 (parting words), 抉 (pick out), all sharing the 'break off' core.

Stroke Order

决 jué