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败坏 (bài huài) — (verb) to ruin, to corrupt, to undermine (reputation, morals, discipline, atmosphere); (adjective) corrupt, depraved, morally bankrupt

Definition

败坏 is specifically about ruining moral or reputational integrity — corrupt atmosphere, image, discipline. 堕落 is the person falling into depravity themselves; 毁灭 is complete physical destruction.

verb
to ruinto corruptto undermine (reputation, morals, discipline, atmosphere)
adjective
corruptdepravedmorally bankrupt

Examples

  • 败坏。
    Shè huì fēng qì bèi zhè xiē yáo yán yán zhòng bài huài le.
    The social atmosphere has been severely corrupted by these rumors.
  • 败坏。
    Zhè jiàn shì bài huài le tā zài dà jiā xīn zhōng de xíng xiàng.
    This incident ruined his image in everyone's eyes.
  • 败坏，。
    Zhè ge rén dào dé bài huài, méi yǒu rén yuàn yì xiāng xìn tā.
    This person is morally corrupt; no one is willing to trust him.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

败bàispoil
坏huàibad

败 and 坏 both mean spoiled or damaged, so together they describe ruining or corrupting something.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 敗; 败 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攵Written in full as攴pūstrike
Sound part声符shēngfú
貝
貝bèi敗bài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 敗 has 貝 as the sound component and 攴 (written 攵) meaning strike. The simplified 败 is a later abbreviation, so its parts are not the original components.

Open 败 →

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 壞; 坏 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
褱
褱huái壞huài
Same sound today

For the traditional form 壞, 土 (earth) is the meaning part and 褱 supplies the sound; earth is used because something that rots eventually becomes earth. This is about 壞, not the simplified 坏.

Open 坏 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6

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