摆脱
bǎituō · HSK 4
free oneself
⛓️💥 摆 = sway/swing + 脱 = shed/take off → swing free and shed it
摆 means to sway or swing (as in 摆动), and 脱 means to shed or take off (as in 脱衣). Together they mean to swing/shake loose and shed something — to free oneself from a burden, habit, or situation.
摆 — hand radical 扌 + 罢 bà (phonetic)
摆 is a semantic-phonetic compound: the hand radical 扌 signals an action done with the hands, while 罢 supplies the sound (bà → bǎi). The original sense was to arrange or set things out by hand, which extended to swinging, swaying, and displaying. The simplified form 摆 replaces traditional 擺.
脱 — flesh radical 月 (肉) + 兑 tuì (phonetic)
脱 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The flesh radical 月 (from 肉) signals the body, while 兑 supplies the sound. Originally it meant shedding flesh or skin, like a snake molting, and broadened to mean 'to take off, slip off, or escape.'