Usage of 剃 (tì)
The verb 剃 primarily means "to shave," referring to cutting hair or beard very close to the skin using a razor or similar tool. It is commonly used in daily life when talking about shaving facial hair or head hair.
Common contexts
- Shaving beard or mustache: e.g., 剃胡子 (shave beard).
- Shaving head hair: e.g., 剃头发 (shave hair), 剃光头 (shave head bald).
Collocations and patterns
- 剃胡子: to shave beard, a very common phrase.
- 剃头发: to shave hair, often done at barbershops.
- 剃光头: to shave the head completely, often for style or cultural reasons.
Notes
When using 剃, the object is usually hair or beard. It implies a close shave, often with a razor. It differs from 剪 (jiǎn), which means "to cut" hair but not necessarily very close to the skin. Avoid confusing 剃 with 剪 when describing haircuts that do not involve shaving.
The verb is neutral in tone and commonly used in everyday speech and writing.