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垮台 (kuǎ tái) — to fall from power; to collapse (of a regime, government, or organization)

Definition

A verb meaning a government or regime losing power and collapsing, used for political downfall rather than a physical structure (use 倒塌 for buildings).

verb
to fall from powerto collapse (of a regime, government, or organization)

Examples

  • 垮台。
    Nà ge fǔ bài de zhèng fǔ zhōng yú kuǎ tái le.
    That corrupt government finally fell from power.
  • ，。
    Tā kuǎ le tái, zài yě méi huí lái.
    He fell from power and never came back.
  • 。
    Nà ge zhèng quán yǐ jīng kuǎ guò liǎng cì tái le.
    That regime has fallen from power twice.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

垮kuǎcollapse
台táiplatform

垮台 joins 垮 collapse with 台 platform, meaning a regime or organization falls from power.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 垮 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 臺; 台 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 台 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (窗台, 电视台) it is 臺; in others (台灯, 台球) (台风) it is 檯 or 台 or 颱.

The traditional form 臺 is the 喬 + 室 form; earlier versions combined a sound part with 室, and an old reading saw it as a watch tower.

Open 台 →
Appears in
Change & ProcessGovernment & Politics

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