侦破 (zhēn pò) — to crack (a case), to solve (a crime) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Refers to investigators successfully solving and breaking open a criminal case. Used in formal/legal/police contexts, not for everyday problem-solving.

verb

to crack (a case)to solve (a crime)

Examples

侦破。
Jǐng fāng yòng le sān gè yuè zhēn pò le zhè qǐ lián huán àn.
The police spent three months cracking this serial case.
侦破。
Nà qǐ dào qiè àn zhì jīn réng wèi zhēn pò.
That theft case still hasn't been solved to this day.
侦破。
Jì shù shǒu duàn bāng zhù xíng shì zhuān jiā xùn sù zhēn pò le àn jiàn.
Technical methods helped criminal experts quickly crack the case.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

侦zhēninvestigate

侦 investigate and 破 solve are parallel actions, meaning crack or solve a case.

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 偵; 侦 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

⺅Written in full as人rénperson

Sound part声符shēngfú

貞

貞zhēn偵zhēn

Same sound today

The traditional form 偵 pairs ⺅ (person) with 貞, which gives the sound and the idea of asking; the simplified 侦 is a later shorthand.

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

石皮破

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

皮

皮pí破pò

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

破 has 石 (stone) as its meaning part and 皮 as its sound part.

Appears in

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