斥 (chì) · to scold, to rebuke, to denounce

Meanings

1 to scold
2 to rebuke
3 to denounce
4 to expel
5 to reconnoiter

Characters

斥

chì

scold, expel, reconnoiter

Examples

HSK 6

老师严厉地斥了他。

Lǎoshī yánlì de chì le tā.

The teacher rebuked him sternly.

HSK 6

派人四处斥候。

Pài rén sìchù chìhòu.

Send people out to reconnoiter in all directions.

HSK 7-9

他斥之为荒谬。

Tā chì zhī wéi huāngmiù.

He denounced it as absurd.

Tips

register

Single-character 斥 is literary/written; in everyday speech you'll hear the compounds: 训斥 'to reprimand,' 斥责 'to rebuke,' 排斥 'to reject/exclude,' 斥候 'scout (military).'

history

An old graph: in oracle-bone script 斥 depicts pushing/casting away. The 'reconnoiter' and 'expand territory' senses come from military Classical Chinese, visible in the 史记 when describing border patrols and territorial expansion of the Han.

Components

radical

斤 jīn

axe; catty

Axe radical wrapping the top-left, the indexing radical. 斥 originally meant to reject or drive away, the axe imagery of cutting something off is the semantic root. The radical groups 斥 with 斩 to chop, 断 to sever, 新 fresh-cut wood, all sharp-tool chars.

ideograph

丶 zhǔ

dot (marker stroke)

Single dot inside the axe-wrap, acting as an abstract marker rather than depicting a real object. The dot is a positional indicator distinguishing 斥 from 斤 alone, think of it as the chip flying off when the axe drives something away.