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掰

Mandarin · pinyin bāi

to break off or break open sth with one's hands
(fig.) to break off (a relationship)

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掰: bāi · (Cant.) to tear, to rip

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1 · bai1

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Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Rime Cantonese 粵拼

baai1 · baai2 · maak3 · mak3

Cantonese word readings for 掰. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character · Etymology 1

to bend or break apart with both hands; to adjust
(figurative, colloquial) to talk nonsense; to chatter idly
(figurative, colloquial) to break up; to end a relationship

character · Etymology 2

(Zhangzhou and Taiwanese Hokkien) to push aside with the hand; to ward off

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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