Understanding "废除" - Chinese Word Explanation

1. Basic Information

• Word: 废除
• Pinyin: fèi chú
• Literal Meaning: 废 (fèi) = to abolish, discard, invalidate; 除 (chú) = to remove, eliminate — together literally “to abolish and remove”
• Primary Meaning: to abolish, repeal, annul, or do away with something, especially laws, systems, regulations, institutions, treaties, or privileges

2. In-depth Explanation

Context and Usage

废除 is a formal verb used when an official, authoritative body decides to completely end or invalidate something that was previously established. It is most often used with abstract or institutional nouns such as:

• 法律 (fǎlǜ) — law
• 制度 (zhìdù) — system
• 死刑 (sǐxíng) — death penalty
• 条约 (tiáoyuē) — treaty
• 特权 (tèquán) — privilege

The word carries a strong sense of deliberate, often legal or political, action. It is not normally used for small everyday matters like canceling a meeting or a plan. For those cases, 取消 (qǔxiāo, “to cancel”) is more appropriate.

Nuance

废除 implies that something existed for a significant period and was formally or officially ended. It is stronger than 取消 (cancel) and often appears in news reports, legal documents, and historical discussions. A related word, 解除 (jiěchú), is used more for lifting restrictions, terminating contracts, or removing someone from a position.

Character Breakdown

• 废 (fèi): This character can mean “to abolish,” “to discard,” “to invalidate,” or “waste.” In 废除, it carries the sense of declaring something no longer valid or useful.
• 除 (chú): This character means “to remove,” “to eliminate,” or “to get rid of.” It reinforces the idea of taking something away completely.

Together, 废除 means to completely remove something by officially declaring it invalid.

3. Example Sentences

• Chinese: 政府决定废除这项过时的法律。
• Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ juédìng fèichú zhè xiàng guòshí de fǎlǜ.

• English: The government decided to abolish this outdated law.

• Chinese: 许多国家已经废除了死刑。

• Pinyin: Xǔduō guójiā yǐjīng fèichú le sǐxíng.

• English: Many countries have already abolished the death penalty.

• Chinese: 这项不合理的制度终于被废除了。

• Pinyin: Zhè xiàng bù hélǐ de zhìdù zhōngyú bèi fèichú le.
• English: This unreasonable system was finally abolished.

Cultural Notes

废除 often appears in important historical and political contexts. One famous example is 废除科举制度 (fèichú kējǔ zhìdù), the abolition of the imperial examination system in China in 1905. This system had been used for over a thousand years to select government officials, so abolishing it was a major step toward modern educational and political reform.

Another common phrase is 废除不平等条约 (fèichú bù píngděng tiáoyuē), meaning “to abolish unequal treaties.” This was a major political slogan in China during the early 20th century, referring to treaties imposed on China by foreign powers.

Because of this historical weight, 废除 often carries a formal, serious tone in Chinese.

Conclusion

Remember 废除 as a formal verb meaning “to abolish” or “to repeal.” Use it for laws, systems, institutions, treaties, and similar official matters. Think of 废 as “abolish” and 除 as “remove” — together they mean to officially do away with something established. If you want to say “cancel a plan or meeting,” use 取消 instead.