击穿 (jī chuān) — to puncture, to break down (electrical insulation, dielectric); (figurative) to break through, to shatter (a barrier, defense)

Definition

Literal sense: to puncture or break down insulation/dielectric material under high voltage. Figuratively, to break through a barrier (e.g. a psychological defense).

verb
to punctureto break down (electrical insulation, dielectric)(figurative) to break throughto shatter (a barrier, defense)

Examples

  • 击穿。
    Gāo yā diàn xiàn de jué yuán céng bèi jī chuān le.
    The insulation layer of the high-voltage wire was punctured.
  • ，击穿。
    Zhè zhǒng cái liào hěn hòu, zhèng cháng qíng kuàng xià shì jī bu jī chuān de.
    This material is very thick; under normal circumstances it cannot be punctured.
  • ，击穿。
    Tán pàn zhōng, tā de yí jù guān jiàn huà jī chuān le duì fāng de xīn lǐ fáng xiàn.
    During the negotiations, a key sentence from him broke through the other side's psychological defenses.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

击jīstrike
穿chuānpierce through

“击” means strike and “穿” means pierce through, together describing striking so as to break through.

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 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

穿 puts 穴 (cave) and 牙 (tooth) together to show passing through or penetrating.

Open 穿 →

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