Definition
支离破碎 is a four-character set phrase (成语) that literally means 'fragmentary, split, broken, shattered'. It describes something that is so fragmented or disjointed that it no longer forms a coherent whole — used for objects, organizations, texts, arguments, or even relationships. You'll often see it as a predicate or attributive, e.g. '国家支离破碎' (the country is torn apart) or '支离破碎的记忆' (fragmented memories).
f.e.
fragmentedbroken upcompletely disintegrated
Examples
- ，支离破碎。Nà jiā gōngsī nèibù guǎnlǐ hùnluàn, zǎo jiù zhī lí pò suì le.That company's internal management was chaotic — it had long fallen apart.
- 支离破碎，。Zhè zhāng jiù bàozhǐ yǐjīng zhī lí pò suì, zì dōu kàn bu qīng le.This old newspaper has already disintegrated, and the characters are unreadable.
- ，支离破碎。Tā de lùnwén luójí bù tōng, jiégòu zhī lí pò suì.His paper lacks logical coherence and its structure is fragmented.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.