挣断 (zhèng duàn) — to break (a rope, chain, etc.) by struggling or… | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A compound verb: 挣 (struggle/pull hard) + 断 (break/snap), meaning to break something (a rope, chain, handcuffs) by pulling against it.

verb

to break (a rope, chain, etc.) by struggling or pulling

Examples

，挣断。
Tā yòng lì yì lā, zhèng duàn le shéng zi.
He gave a hard pull and broke the rope.
挣断，。
Fàn rén shì tú zhèng duàn shǒu kào, dàn méi yǒu chéng gōng.
The prisoner tried to break the handcuffs but failed.
挣断，。
Xiǎo gǒu zhèng duàn le liàn zi, pǎo dào le jiē shàng.
The puppy broke its chain and ran into the street.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

挣zhèngstruggle

挣 means to struggle or pull, and 断 means to break; together they mean to break something by pulling hard.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 掙; 挣 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

手手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

爭

爭zhēng掙zhèng

Same sound today

The traditional form 掙 combines 手 (hand) with 爭, which gives the sound; the simplified 挣 is a shorthand.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 斷; 断 is its simplified writing.

𢇍𢇍𢇍to cut
斤斤jīnaxe

The traditional form 斷 uses 𢇍 (to cut) and 斤 (axe) together.

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