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砸碎 (zá suì) — to smash to bits; to pulverize

Definition

砸碎 (zá suì) is a resultative verb meaning to smash something so completely it breaks into pieces — 砸 is the action, 碎 is the result. Common with hard objects like glass, stone, or metal.

verb
to smash to bitsto pulverize

Examples

  • 砸碎。
    Tā yì chuí jiù bǎ nà kuài dà shí tou zá suì le.
    He smashed that big rock to pieces with one hammer.
  • ，砸碎。
    Bō li bēi diào zài dì shàng, zá suì le.
    The glass fell on the floor and shattered.
  • 砸碎，。
    Jī qì néng bǎ fèi tiě zá suì, rán hòu chóng xīn lì yòng.
    The machine can pulverize scrap metal and then reuse it.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

砸zásmash
碎suìbroken

砸碎 pairs 砸, to smash, with 碎, broken to bits; smashing causes something to shatter.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 砸 →

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shístone
Sound part声符shēngfú
卒
卒zú碎suì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

碎 pairs 石 (stone) with 卒, which gives the sound; the stone part is tied to the sense of breaking or smashing.

Open 碎 →
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