除

It also extends to mathematical subtraction and division, and in older usage, to step up or climb (onto a terrace) — a trace of its earliest meaning.

Phono-semantic compound composed of:

阜 (언덕 부) — semantic component, meaning “hill” or “slope,” representing elevation or steps.

余 (나 여) — phonetic component, giving the sound je (저 / 제) and implying remainder or surplus.

The earliest forms in bronze inscriptions (金文 jinwen) depicted a person ascending a slope, hence the original sense of “to go up steps” or “to ascend to a hall or terrace.”

From that, the meaning evolved into “to clear or level the ground,” and figuratively “to remove or take away obstacles.”

Physical / general senses

掃除 (소제) — to sweep and clean; to remove dust

削除 (삭제) — to delete; to erase

消除 (소제) — to eliminate; to remove

祓除 (불제) — to purify; to exorcise

除去 (제거) — to get rid of; to eliminate

解除 (해제) — to lift; to release; to remove restrictions

免除 (면제) — to exempt; to relieve from duty

除名 (제명) — to strike off a list; expel

除外 (제외) — to exclude; to leave out

Mathematical senses

除數 (제수) — divisor (the number that divides)

被除數 (피제수) — dividend (the number being divided)

加減乘除 (가감승제) — addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division

Other extended meanings

除夜 (제야) — the last night of the year (New Year’s Eve)

除日 (제일) — day of departure or transition

除服 (제복) — to end the mourning period (removing mourning clothes)

The earliest meaning of 除 was “to ascend steps” — a concept related to entering an elevated building or ceremonial platform.

In ancient Chinese court rituals, 除 referred to stepping up to one’s official post, hence the phrase “除授 (제수)”, meaning to appoint or confer office.

As language evolved, the physical act of “ascending” shifted metaphorically to “clearing the way” or “removing obstacles.”

Thus, 除 came to denote any act of removal, purification, or reduction, from cleaning to moral purification.

「除舊布新」

“Remove the old and bring forth the new” — idiom associated with Lunar New Year.

In Buddhist and Daoist texts, 除 is used spiritually — to eliminate delusion, sin, or defilement, restoring purity of mind.

「除垢得淨，心自明矣。」

“When filth is removed, purity arises and the mind becomes clear.”

除 symbolizes cleansing, transition, and renewal.

Its essence lies not merely in destruction, but in purifying by removal — clearing what obstructs so that clarity and new beginnings may emerge.

It is also associated with thresholds and passage — stepping upward or forward after letting go.

This sense remains in 除夜 (New Year’s Eve), when one “removes the old year” to welcome the new.

「除者，去故而迎新也。」

“To ‘除’ is to remove the old and greet the new.”

除 teaches the wisdom of release — that progress begins with letting go. To remove clutter, to cleanse the mind, to reduce excess — all are acts of 除.

「除垢以明鏡，去妄而得真。」

“By removing dust, the mirror shines; by removing delusion, truth is seen.”

Thus, 除 stands as a character of renewal through elimination,

a reminder that every ascent begins with clearing the steps before us.