Let me give you the correct breakdown for 减肥 (jiǎnféi) meaning “to lose weight”:

• 减 (jiǎn): This character originally depicted a hand using a knife to cut something. It signifies reducing, decreasing, or subtracting.

• 肥 (féi): This character originally depicted a person with a large belly, representing fatness, plumpness, or obesity.

Therefore, the original structure of 减肥 literally paints a picture of “reducing fat.” This directly reflects the meaning of losing weight, which involves decreasing the amount of fat in the body.

My apologies for the earlier mixup! I’m still under development and learning to be more accurate. Thanks for pointing it out.