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摧残 (cuī cán) — to ravage, to ruin (esp. one's body, mind, spirit, or valuable abstract things)

Definition

摧残 (cuī cán) means to ravage or ruin something precious — typically a person's body, mind, or spirit. It implies slow, ongoing harm, unlike 摧毁 which is a sudden, physical destruction.

verb
to ravageto ruin (esp. one's body, mind, spirit, or valuable abstract things)

Examples

  • 摧残。
    Cháng qī shī mián huì cuī cán rén de shēn xīn jiàn kāng.
    Long-term insomnia can ravage one's physical and mental health.
  • 摧残。
    Nà chǎng zāi nàn cuī cán le tā suǒ yǒu de xī wàng.
    That disaster ruined all his hopes.
  • 摧残。
    Zhàn zhēng cuī cán le wú shù jiā tíng.
    The war ravaged countless families.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

摧cuīdestroy
残cáninjure

摧 'destroy' and 残 'injure' together convey ravaging or ruining.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
崔
崔cuī摧cuī
Same sound today

摧 uses 扌, the hand form, to mark an action done with the hand, and 崔 to give its sound.

Open 摧 →

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 殘; 残 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
歹歹dǎivicious, bones
Sound part声符shēngfú
戔
戔jiān殘cán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 殘 pairs 歹, a bone shape for injury, with 戔 for its sound; the simplified 残 is a later shorthand.

Open 残 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6

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