破铜烂铁 (pò tóng làn tiě) — scrap metal; junk; rubbish; worthless objects | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A chengyu-style noun for 'scrap metal / junk' — literally 'broken copper, rotten iron'. Carries a dismissive tone: worthless, broken things with no value, not just any old object.

noun

scrap metaljunkrubbishworthless objects

Measure word · 堆

Examples

破铜烂铁。
Tā zài hòu yuàn duī le yì duī pò tóng làn tiě.
He piled up a heap of scrap metal in the backyard.
破铜烂铁，。
Zhè xiē jiù diàn qì quán shì pò tóng làn tiě, zǎo gāi rēng le.
These old appliances are all junk — they should have been thrown away long ago.
破铜烂铁。
Bié bǎ nà xiē pò tóng làn tiě dàng zuò shōu cáng pǐn.
Don't treat that scrap as collectibles.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

破铜broken copper

破pòbroken铜tóngcopper

偏正Modifier + head

烂铁rotten iron

烂lànrotten铁tiěiron

偏正Modifier + head

Broken 铜 and rotten 铁 stand together for worthless metal junk.

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.

石皮破

Meaning part形符xíngfú

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.

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 銅; 铜 is its simplified writing.

金同銅

Meaning part形符xíngfú

金金jīnmetal

Sound part声符shēngfú

同

同tóng銅tóng

Same sound today

The traditional form 銅 pairs 金 (metal) with 同 as the sound part; the simplified 铜 is a shorthand.

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 爛; 烂 is its simplified writing.

火闌爛

Meaning part形符xíngfú

火火huǒfire

Sound part声符shēngfú

闌

闌lán爛làn

Same sound today

The form 爛 pairs 火 (fire) with 闌 as the sound part; this explains 爛, not the simplified 烂.

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 鐵; 铁 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

金金jīnmetal

Sound part声符shēngfú

𢧤

𢧤𢧤鐵tiě

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

The traditional form 鐵 pairs 金 (metal) with 𢧤 as a sound part; the simplified 铁 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

Materials & Substances Miscellaneous Objects

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