撕

sī

HSK 2.0 Level 5 HSK 3.0 Level 7 Verb Common

Definitions

1. to tear

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Character focus

Stroke order

15 strokes

Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item

粘

zhān

to glue

粘 means to stick or glue, opposite of tearing.

Related words

2 items

撕破

sī pò

to tear

撕破 means to tear up or rip apart, often for paper or fabric.

撕裂

sī liè

to rip apart

撕裂 means to tear apart or lacerate, often used for strong tearing.

Synonyms

1 item

扯

chě

to pull

扯 can also mean to tear or pull, but 撕 emphasizes tearing by hand.

Usage notes

Common mistakes

撕 is a transitive verb; learners often incorrectly use it without an object. Always specify what is being torn, e.g., 撕纸 (tear paper).

Example Sentences

2 shown

请把这张纸撕成两半。

Please tear this paper into two halves.

他把書撕爛了。

Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 759704)

Sentence data courtesy of Tatoeba.org. AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 撕

撕咬

sī yǎo

to tear at (with the teeth, like one animal attacking another)

to tear apart

to tear out (and throw away)

to tear up

to tear up

to tear

to have an acrimonious falling-out

撕破脸皮

sī pò liǎn pí

see 撕破臉|撕破脸[sī pò liǎn]

to tear to shreds

lit. to tear the ticket

撕裂