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荒废 (huāng fèi) — to leave (land) uncultivated; to let go to waste; to neglect (one's studies, skills); to become out of practice; to waste (time, opportunities)

Definition

A verb meaning to let something slip into disuse or waste — land left uncultivated, skills getting rusty, or time/opportunities squandered. Often used with 了 to mark a regrettable state already reached.

verb
to leave (land) uncultivatedto let go to wasteto neglect (one's studies, skills)to become out of practiceto waste (time, opportunities)

Examples

  • 荒废。
    Zhè piàn tǔ dì yǐ jīng huāng fèi le hěn duō nián.
    This piece of land has lain waste for many years.
  • 荒废。
    Tā de yīng yǔ yīn wèi cháng qī bú yòng ér huāng fèi le.
    His English has gotten rusty from long disuse.
  • 荒废。
    Bié huāng fèi le zhè me hǎo de jī huì.
    Don't waste such a good opportunity.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

荒huāngwaste
废fèiabandon

荒 means waste or desolation and 废 means abandonment; together they describe letting something fall into disuse.

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss, plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
巟
巟huāng荒huāng
Same sound today

荒 is built from 艹 (grass, plant) and 巟, with 巟 giving the sound huāng.

Open 荒 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 廢; 废 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
广广guǎnghouse
Sound part声符shēngfú
發
發fā廢fèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 廢 shows 广 as a house and 發 as the sound.

Open 废 →
Appears in
Agriculture & Farming

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