择 (zé): to select, to choose, to pick over
择 (zé) is a Chinese character meaning “to select.” Classified as HSK Level 3 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 扌 (structural). It ranks #961 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Definitions
- to select
- to choose
- to pick over
Stroke Order
Practice writing 择 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 择
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 别无选择verb | bié wú xuǎn zé | to have no other choice |
| 抉择verb | jué zé | to choose (literary) |
| 不择手段phrase | bù zé shǒu duàn | by fair means or foul |
| 选择性noun | xuǎn zé xìng | selective |
| 选择题noun | xuǎn zé tí | multiple-choice question |
| 物竞天择 | wù jìng tiān zé | natural selection |
| 自然选择noun | zì rán xuǎn zé | natural selection |
| 择偶verb | zé ǒu | to choose a spouse |
| 择不开 | zhái bu kāi | impossible to separate |
| 择日子 | zhái rì zi | to pick an auspicious day |
| 口不择言phrase | kǒu bù zé yán | to speak incoherently |
| 不加选择 | bù jiā xuǎn zé | indiscriminate |
| 自由选择权 | zì yóu xuǎn zé quán | free agency |
| 口无择言 | kǒu wú zé yán | to say not a word that is not appropriate (idiom) |
| 择日不如撞日phrase | zé rì bù rú zhuàng rì | lit. carefully setting an auspicious date does not beat seizing an opportunity (idiom) |
择 appears in 33 compound words: 36 as the first character, 30 as the last, and 33 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 择 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (9)
to take any measures to do something; to stop at nothing; by hook or by crook; unscrupulously
to be not choosy when one is hungry or when matters are urgent; beggars can't be choosers
to say not a word that is not appropriate (idiom); wrongly used for 口不擇言|口不择言
Example Sentences
人生的道路上，我们要面临很多选择，每次选择都很重要。
Rénshēng de dàolù shang, wǒmen yào miàn lín hěn duō xuǎnzé, měi cì xuǎnzé dōu hěn zhòngyào.
On the road of life, we face many choices, and each choice is very important.
乳腺增生要动手术吗?手术是最后选择,非首选方案
rǔ xiàn zēng shēng yāo dòng shǒu shù ma ? shǒu shù shì zuì hòu xuǎn zé , fēi shǒu xuǎn fāng àn
Does breast hyperplasia require surgery? Surgery is the last resort, not the first choice.
白糖怎么选?与无糖食品选择逻辑完全不同吗
bái táng zěn má xuǎn ? yǔ wú táng shí pǐn xuǎn zé luó jí wán quán bù tóng ma
How to choose white sugar? Is the logic completely different from selecting sugar-free foods?
正确选择无糖食品要注意什么?警惕“无蔗糖”文字游...
zhèng què xuǎn zé wú táng shí pǐn yāo zhù yì shén má ? jǐng tì wú 蔗 táng wén zì yóu . . .
What should you watch out for when choosing sugar-free foods? Beware of misleading "no sucrose" claims...
赖总统:日韩未选择重新谈判
lài zǒng tǒng : rì hán wèi xuǎn zé chóng xīn tán pàn
President Lai: Japan and South Korea have not chosen to renegotiate
搭新干线遇孩童狂踢椅背 近7成日本人选择忍?坦言是怕“他们”
dā xīn gān xiàn yù hái tóng kuáng tī yǐ bèi jìn chéng rì běn rén xuǎn zé rěn ? tǎn yán shì pà tā men
Taking the Shinkansen and encountering children kicking the seat back? Nearly 70% of Japanese choose to endure it—admitting they're afraid of "them."
萨米选择了戒烟大麻。
Sà mǐ xuǎnzé le jièyān dàmá.
Sami decided to quit smoking weed.
素食汉堡是一种蔬食选择。
Sùshí hànbǎo shì yīzhǒng shūshí xuǎnzé.
Veggie burgers are a plant-based option.
为什么柔道是您孩子的最佳选择？
Wèishénme róudào shì nín háizi de zuì jiā xuǎnzé?
Why is judo the best choice for your child?
你可以选择红茶，咖啡或牛奶。
Nǐ kěyǐ xuǎnzé hóngchá, kāfēi huò niúnǎi.
You have a choice of black tea, coffee, or milk.
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 择 (zé) mean in Chinese?
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What characters sound the same as 择 (zé)?
Is 择 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 择 with real-time feedback
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