拆除
chāichú · HSK 5
demolish
🔨 拆除 = 拆 (dismantle) + 除 (remove)
拆 means to take apart or tear down; 除 means to get rid of or eliminate. Together they describe demolishing a structure and clearing away the debris — the full removal process, not just breaking.
拆 — hand radical 扌 + 斥 chì (phonetic)
拆 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 (扌 = 手) gives the meaning, since taking apart or tearing down is done with the hands. The right side 斥 supplies the sound, originally close to 'chì,' which shifted to 'chāi' in modern Mandarin.
除 — left ear/mound 阝 + surplus 余
除 combines the 'mound/steps' radical 阝 (originally 阜, a hill) with 余 as the phonetic. It first meant the steps of a palace, then extended to 'remove' or 'clear away' (as one sweeps steps clean), and later to mathematical 'divide.'