报废 (bào fèi) — to scrap, to discard (worn-out or damaged items)

Definition

报废 (bàofèi) means an item is declared beyond use and officially scrapped — final, irreversible. Stronger than 清理 (clearing out, items may still be kept) and more decisive than 废弃 (simply abandoning something).

verb

to scrapto discard (worn-out or damaged items)

Examples

报废。
Gōng sī jué dìng bǎ jiù de jī qì quán bù bào fèi.
The company decided to scrap all the old machines.
报废，。
Zhè liàng chē yǐ jīng bào fèi le, bù néng zài kāi.
This car has already been scrapped and can no longer be driven.
报废，。
Zhè xiē cái liào yǐ jīng bào fèi le, wǒ men xū yào huàn xīn de.
These materials have been discarded; we need to replace them with new ones.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

报bàoreport or declare

废fèibecome scrap

报 means to report or declare, and 废 adds the result of becoming scrap, so the word means to scrap.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 報; 报 is its simplified writing.

㚔㚔㚔handcuffs
𠬝𠬝𠬝to subdue

The traditional form 報 puts 㚔 (handcuffs) beside 𠬝 (to subdue), showing someone restrained and subdued, as in convicting or punishing a guilty person. The simplified 报 is a later shorthand.

Open 报 →

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 廢; 废 is its simplified writing.

广發廢

Meaning part形符xíngfú

广广guǎnghouse

Sound part声符shēngfú

發

發fā廢fèi

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 廢 shows 广 as a house and 發 as the sound.

Open 废 →