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损毁 (sǔn huǐ) — to damage, to destroy, to ruin

Definition

A formal verb meaning to damage or destroy, often used for objects, buildings, or documents. Stronger than 损坏 (slight damage) — 损毁 implies the thing is broken or unusable.

verb
to damageto destroyto ruin

Examples

  • 损毁。
    Zhè chǎng huǒ zāi sǔn huǐ le xǔ duō fáng wū.
    This fire damaged many houses.
  • 损毁。
    Bào fēng yǔ sǔn huǐ le zhuāng jia.
    The storm ruined the crops.
  • 损毁。
    Zhè xiē wén jiàn bèi gù yì sǔn huǐ le.
    These documents were deliberately damaged.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

损sǔndamage
毁huǐdestroy

“损” and “毁” both mean damage or destruction, so together they emphasize ruining something.

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 損; 损 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
員
員yuán損sǔn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 損 pairs 手 (hand) with 員 as a sound part; the simplified 损 is a later shorthand, so its visible parts are not the original components.

Open 损 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 毀; 毁 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 毀 combines 臼 (cracked skull), 工 (tool), and 殳 (hand action) as a man being hit in the head; this explanation is about 毀, not the simplified 毁.

Open 毁 →
Appears in
Safety & Danger

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