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击溃 (jī huì) — to rout, to defeat decisively

Definition

击溃 (jīkuì) means a decisive, crushing defeat — stronger and more complete than 打败 ('to beat'), implying the opponent collapses rather than simply losing. Often used for military or one-sided routs.

verb
to routto defeat decisively

Examples

  • 击溃。
    Dí rén bèi chè dǐ jī huì le.
    The enemy was completely routed.
  • 击溃。
    Wǒ jūn yì jǔ jī huì le dí jūn.
    Our army routed the enemy in one fell swoop.
  • 击溃。
    Tā men zài bǐ sài zhōng jī huì le duì shǒu.
    They routed their opponents in the competition.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

击jīstrike
溃kuìcollapse

击 means strike and 溃 means collapse, so together they mean to strike so hard that the enemy collapses.

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 擊; 击 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
毄
毄jī擊jī
Same sound today

The traditional form 擊 has 手 (hand) and 毄; 毄 gives the sound and also points to striking, while the simplified 击 is a later shorthand.

Open 击 →

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 潰; 溃 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
貴
貴guì潰kuì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 潰 pairs 氵 (water) with 貴 for sound; the simplified 溃 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the old sound part.

Open 溃 →
Appears in
Military & Defense

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