淘汰

You use it as a verb most of the time. You can say a person was 淘汰 from a competition. You can also say a piece of technology was 淘汰 by the market. It often follows the word 被 (bèi) because the elimination is usually happening *to* someone. For example, "I was eliminated" is 我被淘汰了. It’s simple, punchy, and very common in sports, business, and tech talk.

Use it when you’re talking about competitions. If your favorite team loses and leaves the tournament, they are 淘汰. Use it when your boss says the company is switching to new software. The old software is being 淘汰. It’s great for talking about trends too. If everyone is wearing baggy jeans and skinny jeans are out, those skinny jeans have been 淘汰. It’s a very practical word for anything that has an 'expiration date' on its usefulness.

Don't use it for people in a sensitive social way. If you break up with someone, don't say you 淘汰 them. That sounds like you’re a judge on a dating show—very cold! Also, don't use it for trash. You don't 淘汰 a banana peel; you just throw it away. It implies a process of selection or a shift in standards. If there was no competition or upgrade involved, just use 'throw away' or 'quit'.

In China’s hyper-competitive environment, 淘汰 is a word people hear a lot. From the 'Gaokao' (college entrance exam) to the '996' work culture, there is a constant fear of being 被时代淘汰 (left behind by the era). It reflects a fast-paced society where staying relevant is a full-time job. It’s not always negative, though. It represents progress and the drive to keep improving yourself so you stay in the game.

You’ll often hear 淘汰赛 (táotàisài), which means a knockout tournament. Think World Cup playoffs. Another one is 优胜劣汰 (yōushèng liètài). This is a four-word idiom meaning 'survival of the fittest.' It’s the hardcore version of the word. If you want to sound like a tech mogul, talk about how old industries are being 淘汰. It makes you sound very forward-thinking and maybe a little bit ruthless.