危害 (wēi hài) — to harm, to endanger, to jeopardize

Definition

危害 emphasizes serious, ongoing danger to a big system (health, environment, safety), stronger than 伤害 (which can mean physical hurt). Close in meaning to 危及, but 危害 is a verb, while 危及 often reads more literary.

verb
to harmto endangerto jeopardize
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 危害。
    Xī yān huì wēi hài jiàn kāng.
    Smoking can harm your health.
  • 危害。
    Wū rǎn huì wēi hài huán jìng.
    Pollution can harm the environment.
  • 危害。
    Zhè zhǒng xíng wéi huì wēi hài gōng gòng ān quán.
    This kind of behavior can endanger public safety.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

危wēidanger
害hàiharm

'危' refers to danger and '害' to harm, together meaning to cause danger or damage.

Characters in this word

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

  • 厃厃wěiperson on a cliff or mountain
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

危 is built from 厃, showing a person on a cliff or mountain, and 卩, showing a kneeling person.

Open 危 →

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

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丯
丯jiè害hài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

害 was borrowed purely for its sound. Its old picture, possibly a house rafter, is unrelated to harm.

Open 害 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5Safety & Danger

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