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腐蚀 (fǔ shí) — to corrode, to erode (chemically); to corrupt, to deprave (morally or mentally)

Definition

Use 腐蚀 mainly for chemical/physical wearing-away (rust, acid) or for gradually undermining minds/values. 腐败 and 腐朽 focus on moral or political decay; 腐烂 is for organic matter rotting.

verb
to corrodeto erode (chemically)to corruptto deprave (morally or mentally)

Examples

  • 腐蚀。
    Suān yǔ huì fǔ shí jīn shǔ hé jiàn zhù wù.
    Acid rain corrodes metal and buildings.
  • 腐蚀。
    Fǔ bài de guān yuán bèi xiǎng lè zhǔ yì fǔ shí le líng hún.
    Corrupt officials have had their souls corroded by hedonism.
  • 腐蚀。
    Zhè zhǒng sī xiǎng huì fǔ shí qīng shào nián de jià zhí guān.
    This kind of thinking will corrupt young people's values.

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fǔrot
蚀shícorrode

腐 (rot) and 蚀 (wear away) combine for chemical decay, and by extension moral corruption.

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 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 蚀 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Physics & Chemistry

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