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脆弱 (cuì ruò) — fragile, weak, frail

Definition

Used for things — people, bodies, economies, objects — that are easily damaged or hard to recover. 虚弱 is for a sick body, 薄弱 for abstract weakness like arguments or defenses.

adjective
fragileweakfrail

Examples

  • 脆弱，。
    Tā de shēn tǐ hěn cuì ruò, jīng cháng shēng bìng.
    Her body is very frail; she often gets sick.
  • 脆弱。
    Zhè ge guó jiā de jīng jì jī chǔ fēi cháng cuì ruò.
    The economic foundation of this country is very fragile.
  • ，脆弱。
    Bié pèng nà ge huā píng, tā tài cuì ruò le.
    Don't touch that vase; it's too fragile.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

脆cuìbrittle
弱ruòweak

脆 means brittle and 弱 means weak, so the two similar ideas combine to describe frailty.

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
⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
絕
絕jué脆cuì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part ⺼, written as 肉, points to meat, and the right part 絕 gives the sound.

Open 脆 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 弓弓gōngbow
  • 彡彡shānhair, meaning "decoration" in this case

弱 pairs 弓 (bow) with 彡 (hair), showing a decorative bow that is functionally inferior, or a shaking, worn-out bow.

Open 弱 →
Appears in
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