TongTong
Sign in

断裂 (duàn liè) — to fracture, to break apart (of hard materials, ground, bones, etc.)

Definition

断裂 focuses on hard, solid things (metal, bone, the ground) splitting or cracking — more physical and structural than 折 (zhé), and not used for relationships the way 破裂 is.

verb
to fractureto break apart (of hard materials, ground, bones, etc.)

Examples

  • 断裂。
    Zhè kuài jīn shǔ bǎn zài yā lì xià duàn liè le.
    This metal plate fractured under pressure.
  • 。
    Dì miàn zài qiáng liè dì zhèn zhōng duàn liè le.
    The ground fractured in a strong earthquake.
  • 。
    Tā de gē bo zài shì gù zhōng duàn liè le.
    His arm fractured in the accident.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

断duànbreak
裂lièsplit

断 and 裂 both describe breaking apart, so the word means fracture.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 斷; 断 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 斷 uses 𢇍 (to cut) and 斤 (axe) together.

Open 断 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Materials & Substances

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.