断送 (duàn sòng) — to forfeit (one's life, future, etc.); to ruin

Definition

verb

to forfeit (one's life, future, etc.)to ruin

断送。
Tā de yì shí chōng dòng duàn sòng le zì jǐ de qián chéng.
His momentary impulse ruined his own future.
断送。
Zhè chǎng guān si duàn sòng le tā duō nián de nǔ lì.
This lawsuit forfeited years of her hard work.
断送。
Xù jiǔ duàn sòng le tā de jiàn kāng hé jiā tíng.
Alcoholism ruined his health and family.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

'断' (sever) and '送' (send) combine to mean cutting off and sending away, hence ruining.

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.

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

辶Written in full as辵chuòto walk

Sound part声符shēngfú

灷

灷zhuàn送sòng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

送 combines 辶, the walking radical, with 灷, which supplies the sound; the walking part fits meanings like see off or deliver.

Appears in