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粉身碎骨 (fěn shēn suì gū) — (idiom) to be shattered to pieces; to sacrifice everything (hyperbolic)

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'to be shattered to pieces' — literal death/destruction, but most often used hyperbolically to mean 'willing to sacrifice everything' for a cause. Always refers to extreme destruction or total self-sacrifice, never casual effort.

idiom
to be shattered to piecesto sacrifice everything (hyperbolic)

Examples

  • ，粉身碎骨。
    Wèi le guó jiā, tā jiù suàn fěn shēn suì gū yě yuàn yì.
    For his country, he would be willing even to be shattered to pieces.
  • ，粉身碎骨。
    Tā cóng shí lóu shuāi xià lái, fěn shēn suì gū.
    He fell from the tenth floor and was smashed to pieces.
  • ，粉身碎骨。
    Wèi le shí xiàn mù biāo, tā jué xīn fěn shēn suì gū zài suǒ bù xī.
    To achieve his goal, he resolved to spare no effort, even at the cost of being destroyed.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

粉身crush body
粉fěncrush身shēnbody
动宾Verb + object
碎骨break bones
碎suìbreak骨gǔbones
动宾Verb + object

粉身 and 碎骨 picture crushing the body and breaking the bones.

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
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
分
分fēn粉fěn
Same sound today

粉 pairs 米 (rice) with 分 for its sound. The rice part points to face powder made from rice.

Open 粉 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 身 comes from a drawing of a pregnant woman.

Open 身 →

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 →

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
肉肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
冎
冎guǎ骨gǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The older form 冎 drew a bone; 肉, flesh, was added to make 骨.

Open 骨 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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