年久失修 (nián jiǔ shī xiū) — dilapidated from years of neglect; in a state of disrepair

Definition

An idiom for something (a building, bridge, machine) that has gone a long time without repairs and is now run-down. Often used as an attributive before a noun, e.g. 年久失修的桥梁.

idiom
dilapidated from years of neglectin a state of disrepair

Examples

  • 年久失修，。
    Zhè zuò lǎo fáng zi nián jiǔ shī xiū, yǐ jīng bù néng zhù rén le.
    This old house has fallen into disrepair from years of neglect; no one can live in it anymore.
  • 年久失修。
    nián jiǔ shī xiū De qiáo liáng yǒu dǎo tā de wēi xiǎn.
    Bridges that have deteriorated from years of neglect are at risk of collapsing.
  • 年久失修，。
    Yóu yú nián jiǔ shī xiū, zhè tái jī qì de xìng néng dà dà xià jiàng le.
    Due to years of neglect, the performance of this machine has greatly declined.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

年久years are long
年niányears久jiǔlong
主谓Subject + predicate
失修repair lost
失shīlose修xiūrepair
动宾Verb + object

年久 says the years are long, and 失修 says repair has been lost, together giving dilapidation from neglect.

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
禾禾héwheat; grain
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén年nián
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

年 pairs 禾 (grain) with 人, which gives the sound. Its original meaning was harvest, and it later came to mean a year.

Open 年 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

久 likely came from a simple drawing of an arrow tip.

Open 久 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape is explained as a fallen person's footprint surrounded by drops of blood; another reading pairs 手 (hand) and 乙 to show something falling from a hand.

Open 失 →

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
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
攸
攸yōu修xiū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

修 is built from 攸, which gives the sound, and 彡, a set of three strokes that shows the meaning.

Open 修 →

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