chop into small pieces

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   Cut food again and again with a knife so that it becomes many little bits.

   Grammar: Needs an object, usually food, before 'into': chop the carrots into small pieces.

   Patterns

   • chop something into small pieces
   • chop something into small pieces for something
   • finely chop something into small pieces

   Chop the onion into small pieces before you add it to the pan.

   The recipe says to chop the chicken into small pieces so it cooks quickly.

   She chopped the herbs into small pieces and stirred them into the sauce.

2. 2phrasefixed phrase

   Break or cut something that is not food into many small parts, often roughly.

   Grammar: Used with materials like wood, paper or stone; 'into small pieces' shows the result.

   Patterns

   • chop something into small pieces
   • be chopped into small pieces

   The workers chopped the fallen branches into small pieces for firewood.

   He chopped the old cardboard boxes into small pieces before recycling them.

3. 3phrasefixed phrasecomputingtechnical

   In computing, divide a file or stream of data into many short sections.

   Grammar: Technical use; often passive, as in 'the file is chopped into small pieces'.

   Patterns

   • chop data into small pieces
   • be chopped into small pieces

   The program chops the video into small pieces so it can be sent over the network.

   Large files are chopped into small pieces before they are uploaded.

Common combinations

chop something into small pieces

Chop the potatoes into small pieces and boil them.

finely chop

Finely chop the garlic into small pieces.

chop into cubes

Instead of small pieces, chop the meat into cubes for the stew.

cut into small pieces

Cut the paper into small pieces for the craft project.

roughly chop

Roughly chop the tomatoes into small pieces; they do not need to be neat.

chop into chunks

Chop the pumpkin into chunks rather than small pieces if you are roasting it.

Synonyms and how they differ

dice

Dice means cutting food into neat, even cubes, which is more precise than chopping into small pieces.

mince

Mince means cutting food into extremely tiny bits, much smaller than small pieces.

cut up

Cut up is more general and informal; it does not say how small the pieces are.

shred

Shred means tearing or cutting into thin strips, not into small separate pieces.

Opposites

Word family

chopper noun

A tool or machine with a blade for cutting food or other materials.

chopping board noun

A flat board used as a surface for cutting food.

chop verb

The base verb meaning to cut something with a heavy blow or repeated blows.

Commonly confused: chop into small pieces or chip? chop into small pieces or slice?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “chop into small pieces”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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