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崩溃 (bēng kuì) — to collapse; to break down; to crash

Definition

崩溃 is a strong verb for total collapse — physical (health), mental (breakdown), or systemic (economy, computer). Stronger than 垮 (general falling apart) and 破裂 (relationships split); more extreme than 瓦解 (disintegrate from within).

verb
to collapseto break downto crash

Examples

  • 崩溃。
    Tā yīn wèi yā lì tài dà ér bēng kuì le.
    He collapsed under too much pressure.
  • 崩溃，。
    Wǒ de diàn nǎo tū rán bēng kuì le, hái méi bǎo cún wén jiàn.
    My computer suddenly crashed, and I hadn't saved the file.
  • 崩溃，。
    Zhè ge guó jiā de jīng jì bēng kuì le, hěn duō gōng sī dǎo bì le.
    This country's economy collapsed, and many companies went bankrupt.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

崩bēngbreak down
溃kuìcollapse

崩 gives the idea of breaking down, and 溃 gives the idea of collapsing, together meaning fall apart.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
山山shānmountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
朋
朋péng崩bēng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

崩 uses 山 (mountain) to show a mountain collapsing, with 朋 added for the sound.

Open 崩 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 潰; 溃 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
貴
貴guì潰kuì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 潰 pairs 氵 (water) with 貴 for sound; the simplified 溃 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the old sound part.

Open 溃 →
Appears in
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