How to Write 切 (qiē/qiè) — Meaning “to cut”

Imagine the number seven (七) being sliced by a knife (刀) — the shape of 七 looks like a hook that gets cut. This mental image of "seven cut by a knife" helps you link the components to the meaning "to cut."

Write the left part 七 first: a horizontal stroke, then a vertical hook that curves left and ends with a small upward hook. The right part 刀 is written as a horizontal hook followed by a left-slanting stroke. Be careful to keep 七 narrow and 刀 balanced so the character is not too wide.

The component ⺈ is not a standalone character; it appears in characters like 色 (sè) and has no meaning of cutting. The rare character 㓞 (qià) has a left part 丰 (three horizontal lines) instead of 七, and it means "to engrave" or "to cut". In contrast, 切 (qiē) is common and uses the simple left part 七 with the knife radical.

切 is most often used for physical cutting actions, like 切开 (to cut open) in cooking or 切割 (to slice) in crafts. It also appears in emotional contexts with a different tone (qiè), such as 急切 (eager, urgent). Learning both tones is important because they change the meaning completely.

Common words containing 切 include: 切开 (qiè kāi) — To cut open; 切割 (qiē gē) — to cut / to slice; 急切 (jí qiè) — Eager; impatient; urgent..