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破坏性 (pò huài xìng) — destructiveness; destructive nature

Definition

noun
destructivenessdestructive nature

Examples

  • 破坏性。
    Zhè chǎng dì zhèn de pò huài xìng fēi cháng qiáng.
    The destructiveness of this earthquake is very strong.
  • 破坏性。
    Xīn xíng wǔ qì de pò huài xìng lìng rén dān yōu.
    The destructiveness of new weapons is concerning.
  • 破坏性。
    Wǒ men bì xū píng gū zhè ge xiàng mù de qián zài pò huài xìng.
    We must evaluate the potential destructiveness of this project.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

破坏
破pòbreak坏huàispoil
联合Coordinate
性xìngnature

破坏 (destroy) and 性 (nature) form the quality of destroying.

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
石石shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
皮
皮pí破pò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

破 has 石 (stone) as its meaning part and 皮 as its sound part.

Open 破 →

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 壞; 坏 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
褱
褱huái壞huài
Same sound today

For the traditional form 壞, 土 (earth) is the meaning part and 褱 supplies the sound; earth is used because something that rots eventually becomes earth. This is about 壞, not the simplified 坏.

Open 坏 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →
Appears in
Safety & Danger

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