各个击破 (gè gè jī pò) — (idiom) to defeat or crush one by one; to tackle individually

Definition

A strategy idiom meaning to defeat or dismantle enemies or problems one at a time instead of all at once. Structurally parallel: 各个 (each one) + 击破 (break through).

idiom
to defeat or crush one by oneto tackle individually

Examples

  • 各个击破，。
    Zhǐ huī guān jué dìng jiāng dí rén gè gè jī pò, ér bú shì quán miàn jìn gōng.
    The commander decided to destroy the enemy one by one rather than launch a full assault.
  • ，各个击破。
    Miàn duì zhòng duō jìng zhēng duì shǒu, gōng sī zhǐ néng cǎi qǔ gè gè jī pò de cè lüè.
    Faced with many competitors, the company could only adopt a strategy of defeating them one by one.
  • ，各个击破，。
    Zhè ge xiàng mù hěn fù zá, wǒ men dé bǎ gè gè wèn tí gè gè jī pò, zhú gè jiě jué.
    This project is very complex; we have to tackle each problem one by one and solve them individually.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

各个each one
各gèeach个gèindividual
偏正Modifier + head
击破to crush
击jīstrike破pòbroken
补充Verb + complement

各个 means each one, and 击破 means to crush, so the sense is to defeat them one by one.

Characters in this word

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

各 shows a sole of a foot (夂) coming into an entrance (口), for the sense of coming or entering.

Open 各 →

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 個; 个 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
固
固gù個ge
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 个, the form 個 pairs 亻 (person) with 固 as a sound part.

Open 个 →

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
石石shí
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.

Open 破 →

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