Definition
断裂 (duàn liè) means 'to fracture, to break apart' and is used for hard materials like metal, ground, or bones. It is more general than 骨折 (gǔ zhé), which specifically refers to a bone fracture, and different from 折 (shé), which describes long thin objects snapping (e.g., a stick or pencil). Unlike 破裂 (pò liè), which can also mean relationships breaking down, 断裂 is limited to physical objects breaking into separate pieces.
verb
to fractureto break apart (of hard materials, ground, bones, etc.)
Examples
- 断裂。Zhè kuài jīnshǔ bǎn zài yālì xià duàn liè le.This metal plate fractured under pressure.
- 。Dìmiàn zài qiángliè dìzhèn zhōng duàn liè le.The ground fractured in a strong earthquake.
- 。Tā de gēbo zài shìgù zhōng duàn liè le.His arm fractured in the accident.
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