扯裂 (chě liè) — to tear apart, to rend (physically or metaphorically)

Definition

A vivid verb meaning to tear or rip apart — used both literally (fabric, sails) and figuratively (relationships, bonds torn by conflict). Stronger and more graphic than 撕开.

verb
to tear apartto rend (physically or metaphorically)

Examples

  • 扯裂。
    Bào fēng chě liè le chuán fān.
    The storm tore apart the sail.
  • 扯裂。
    Zhè chǎng zhēng chǎo chě liè le tā men duō nián de yǒu yì.
    This quarrel rent their years-long friendship.
  • 扯裂。
    Bù liào bèi yòng lì chě liè chéng liǎng bàn.
    The cloth was forcefully torn into two pieces.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

扯chětear
裂lièsplit

扯 (tear) and 裂 (split) combine to mean tear something apart until it splits.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
止
止zhǐ扯chě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

扯 has 手 (hand) and 止; the hand part shows it is about hand actions, while 止 gives the sound.

Open 扯 →

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
衣衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
列
列liè裂liè
Same sound today

裂 combines 衣 (clothes) with 列 for the sound. The picture of 列 shows bones cut by a blade and lined up, and the whole writes the idea of cutting and tearing clothes.

Open 裂 →

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