决堤 (jué dī) — to breach a dike or dam (of floodwaters, causing a collapse)

Definition

Refers specifically to a dike or dam bursting from floodwater pressure. Unlike 崩溃 (collapse, abstract things) or 破裂 (crack/rupture, general), 决堤 is reserved for water-defense structures giving way.

verb
to breach a dike or dam (of floodwaters, causing a collapse)

Examples

  • ，决堤。
    Bào yǔ dǎo zhì hé shuǐ shàng zhǎng, zuì zhōng jué dī le.
    The heavy rain caused the river to rise, and finally the dike broke.
  • ，。
    Nà cì hóng shuǐ jué le sān cì dī, sǔn shī cǎn zhòng.
    That flood breached the dike three times, causing heavy losses.
  • ，决堤。
    Zhèng fǔ lián yè jiā gù dà bà, fáng zhǐ jué dī.
    The government reinforced the dam overnight to prevent a breach.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

决juébreach
堤dīdike

决 (breach) acts on 堤 (dike), meaning floodwater breaks through the embankment.

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 決; 决 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
夬
夬guài決jué
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 決 has 氵 (water) and 夬, which gives the sound. This describes 決, not the simplified 决.

Open 决 →

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
土土tǔsoil
Sound part声符shēngfú
是
是shì堤dī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 土 shows it relates to soil or earth, while the right part 是 gives the sound.

Open 堤 →

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