shuǎi: 甩 - To Swing, To Throw, To Fling, To Ditch

• Keywords: shuai, shuǎi, 甩, Chinese verb, to swing, to throw, to fling, to ditch someone, to dump someone, break up in Chinese, pass the buck, shift blame, 甩锅, 甩卖, Chinese slang
• Summary: Learn the dynamic Chinese verb 甩 (shuǎi), a word that goes far beyond its literal meaning of “to swing” or “fling.” This page explores how 甩 (shuǎi) is used in everyday life, from the physical act of shaking something off to the dramatic slang for “dumping” a romantic partner. We'll dive deep into the hugely popular and culturally significant phrase 甩锅 (shuǎi guō), meaning “to pass the buck,” and show you how to use this versatile word like a native speaker.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): shuǎi
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: To swing, throw, or fling an object; to leave behind or “ditch” a person or responsibility.
• In a Nutshell: 甩 (shuǎi) is all about forceful, sudden movement away from a central point. Physically, it's the action of swinging your arm, flinging water off your hands, or shaking your head. Figuratively, it captures the abrupt and often dismissive act of getting rid of something or someone unwanted. This could be “dumping” a boyfriend or girlfriend, “shaking off” someone following you, or famously, “flinging the blame pot” (甩锅) onto someone else. The core feeling is one of decisive, forceful rejection or riddance.

• 甩 (shuǎi): This single character is a pictophonetic compound, but for a learner, it's easiest to see it visually. The character is composed of 用 (yòng), which means “to use,” and a sweeping stroke (丿). You can imagine it as “using” (用) your hand to make a flinging or swinging motion. The character's form itself suggests a dynamic, outward action, as if something is being cast away.

The evolution of 甩 (shuǎi) from a simple physical verb to a rich metaphorical term reveals a lot about modern Chinese culture, especially in social and professional contexts. The most significant cultural phenomenon related to this word is 甩锅 (shuǎi guō), which literally translates to “fling the pot.” This is a ubiquitous slang term for shifting blame or passing the buck. In a culture where maintaining 面子 (miànzi), or “face” (social reputation and dignity), is paramount, admitting a mistake can be very difficult. Therefore, 甩锅 becomes a common, though frowned upon, strategy to protect one's own face by blaming colleagues, external factors, or anyone else. It's a key piece of modern office slang and online jargon. When used in relationships (我被甩了 - wǒ bèi shuǎi le - “I was dumped”), 甩 carries a much sharper, more dismissive tone than the Western concept of “breaking up.” While “breaking up” can be mutual, 甩 is almost always a unilateral, abrupt action. It paints a picture of one person being unceremoniously “flung aside” or “discarded,” highlighting the shock and helplessness of the person being left.

甩 (shuǎi) is a versatile word used in many modern contexts, from physical actions to social slang.

• Literal Motion: This is the most basic usage. It's used for any swinging or flinging motion, especially with limbs or things attached to you.
• `甩手 (shuǎi shǒu)` - to swing one's hands
• `甩头 (shuǎi tóu)` - to shake one's head (often to say “no” dramatically or to fling hair)
• Relationships (Informal/Slang): This is one of the most common colloquial uses.
• `他把我甩了。(Tā bǎ wǒ shuǎi le.)` - He dumped me.
• `她想甩掉她男朋友。(Tā xiǎng shuǎi diào tā nánpéngyou.)` - She wants to ditch her boyfriend.
• Work & Responsibility (Very Common Slang):
• 甩锅 (shuǎi guō) - “To fling the pot.” This means to pass the buck or shift blame. It's a massively popular term in professional and online settings.
• `别把责任甩给我！(Bié bǎ zérèn shuǎi gěi wǒ!)` - Don't push the responsibility onto me!
• Commerce & Sales:
• 甩卖 (shuǎi mài) - A clearance sale. The imagery is of a shop “flinging away” its merchandise at low prices to get rid of it. You'll often see big red signs with 大甩卖 (dà shuǎi mài) - “Big Clearance Sale.”

Example 1:

• 他生气地甩上门，然后走了。
• Pinyin: Tā shēngqì de shuǎi shàng mén, ránhòu zǒu le.
• English: He angrily flung the door shut and then left.
• Analysis: Here, 甩 conveys a sense of violent, angry motion. It's more forceful than just `关上门 (guān shàng mén - to close the door)`.

Example 2:

• 她甩了甩湿漉漉的头发。
• Pinyin: Tā shuǎi le shuǎi shīlūlū de tóufa.
• English: She flung her wet hair back and forth.
• Analysis: The reduplication of the verb (`甩了甩`) indicates a short, repeated, or casual action. This is a common grammatical pattern in Chinese.

Example 3:

• 我终于甩掉了那个一直跟着我的人。
• Pinyin: Wǒ zhōngyú shuǎi diào le nàge yīzhí gēnzhe wǒ de rén.
• English: I finally shook off the person who was following me.
• Analysis: `甩掉 (shuǎi diào)` is a resultative complement, meaning to succeed in “flinging away” or getting rid of something/someone.

Example 4:

• 听说丽丽把她男朋友甩了。
• Pinyin: Tīngshuō Lìli bǎ tā nánpéngyou shuǎi le.
• English: I heard that Lili dumped her boyfriend.
• Analysis: This is the classic, informal use of 甩 in the context of a romantic relationship. It's direct and a bit gossipy.

Example 5:

• 我真不敢相信，我被甩了。
• Pinyin: Wǒ zhēn bù gǎn xiāngxìn, wǒ bèi shuǎi le.
• English: I really can't believe it, I was dumped.
• Analysis: Using the passive voice with `被 (bèi)` emphasizes the speaker as the victim of the action, highlighting the shock and helplessness of being “dumped.”

Example 6:

• 这个项目出了问题，经理想甩锅给实习生。
• Pinyin: Zhège xiàngmù chū le wèntí, jīnglǐ xiǎng shuǎi guō gěi shíxísheng.
• English: There was a problem with the project, and the manager wanted to pass the buck to the intern.
• Analysis: 甩锅 (shuǎi guō) is treated as a single verb phrase. This is a perfect example of its use in a professional context to mean “shift blame.”

Example 7:

• 你别想甩下我一个人！
• Pinyin: Nǐ bié xiǎng shuǎi xià wǒ yī ge rén!
• English: Don't you even think about ditching me here alone!
• Analysis: 甩下 (shuǎi xià) literally means to “fling down” but here it means to leave someone behind, to ditch them.

Example 8:

• 商场正在大甩卖，所有东西都打五折。
• Pinyin: Shāngchǎng zhèngzài dà shuǎi mài, suǒyǒu dōngxi dōu dǎ wǔ zhé.
• English: The mall is having a big clearance sale, everything is 50% off.
• Analysis: 甩卖 (shuǎi mài) is a set phrase in commerce. The `大 (dà)` just intensifies it, meaning a “big” sale.

Example 9:

• 他把外套往沙发上随手一甩。
• Pinyin: Tā bǎ wàitào wǎng shāfā shàng suíshǒu yī shuǎi.
• English: He casually flung his coat onto the sofa.
• Analysis: `随手一甩 (suíshǒu yī shuǎi)` is a common phrase meaning to casually or carelessly toss/fling something.

Example 10:

• 走路的时候，自然地甩动你的胳膊。
• Pinyin: Zǒulù de shíhou, zìrán de shuǎidòng nǐ de gēbo.
• English: When you walk, swing your arms naturally.
• Analysis: This is a purely literal and instructional use of 甩. `甩动 (shuǎidòng)` emphasizes the swinging motion.

• `甩 (shuǎi)` vs. `扔 (rēng)`: This is a crucial distinction for learners.
  • 扔 (rēng) means “to throw” or “to toss” an object away from yourself, like throwing a ball or throwing away trash. The object becomes completely detached.
  • 甩 (shuǎi) involves a swinging or flinging motion, often to get something *off* of you (like water from your hands) or to move a part of your body (swinging your arms).
  • Incorrect: `我把垃圾甩了。` (Wǒ bǎ lājī shuǎi le.)
  • Correct: `我把垃圾扔了。` (Wǒ bǎ lājī rēng le.) - I threw away the trash.
  • Correct: `我甩了甩手上的水。` (Wǒ shuǎi le shuǎi shǒu shàng de shuǐ.) - I shook the water off my hands.
• `甩 (shuǎi)` vs. `分手 (fēnshǒu)`: Both relate to ending a relationship, but the connotation is very different.
  • 分手 (fēnshǒu) means “to break up.” It's a neutral term and can imply a mutual decision. (`我们分手了。` - We broke up.)
  • 甩 (shuǎi) means “to dump.” It is informal, one-sided, and implies one person abruptly and dismissively leaving the other. It carries a much stronger, more negative emotional weight for the person being left. (`她把我甩了。` - She dumped me.)

• 扔 (rēng) - To throw, to toss. The most common verb for throwing an object. Contrast with the swinging motion of `甩`.
• 分手 (fēnshǒu) - To break up. The more neutral and formal term for ending a romantic relationship.
• 甩锅 (shuǎi guō) - A hugely popular slang term meaning to pass the buck or shift blame. A specific, figurative use of `甩`.
• 甩卖 (shuǎi mài) - A clearance sale. A set commercial phrase using `甩`.
• 抛 (pāo) - To throw, to cast, to toss (often in an arc, like a fisherman casting a net or someone tossing a coin). Another verb of throwing with a different nuance.
• 摆脱 (bǎituō) - To shake off, to break free from. A more formal synonym for getting rid of something or someone, like shaking off a habit or a pursuer.
• 负责 (fùzé) - To be responsible for. The conceptual antonym of the action in `甩锅`.