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腐朽 (fǔ xiǔ) — (adjective) rotten, decayed (literal); decadent, degenerate, corrupt (figurative); (verb) to rot, to decay, to become corrupt

Definition

腐朽 (fǔxiǔ) covers both physical decay and moral/social corruption, more literary than 腐烂. Unlike 腐败 it stresses the process of decay rather than bribery.

adjective
rottendecayed (literal)decadentdegeneratecorrupt (figurative)
verb
to rotto decayto become corrupt

Examples

  • 腐朽。
    Zhè kuài mù tou kāi shǐ fǔ xiǔ le.
    This piece of wood is starting to rot.
  • 腐朽。
    fǔ xiǔ De zhì dù dǎo zhì le guó jiā de shuāi luò.
    The decadent system caused the decline of the country.
  • 腐朽。
    Nà ge dì guó zhú jiàn fǔ xiǔ le.
    That empire gradually decayed.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

腐fǔrotten
朽xiǔdecayed

腐 (rotten) and 朽 (decayed) together describe something rotten, and figuratively decadent.

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
肉肉ròuflesh; body
Sound part声符shēngfú
府
府fǔ腐fǔ
Same sound today

腐 is built from 肉, meaning flesh or body, and 府, pronounced fǔ, which gives the sound.

Open 腐 →

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
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo朽xiǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

朽 pairs 木, a tree/wood, with 丂, which gives the sound. The 木 part connects it to wood.

Open 朽 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Good & Bad

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