毁伤 (huǐ shāng) — to injure, to damage (often of reputation, body, or objects)

Definition

verb
to injureto damage (often of reputation, body, or objects)

Examples

  • 毁伤。
    Zhè cì shì gù yán zhòng huǐ shāng le tā de shēn tǐ.
    This accident severely injured his body.
  • 毁伤。
    Yáo yán huì huǐ shāng yí gè rén de míng yù.
    Rumors can damage a person's reputation.
  • 毁伤。
    Zhàn zhēng gěi zhè zuò chéng shì dài lái le jù dà de huǐ shāng.
    The war brought great damage to this city.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

毁huǐdamage
伤shāngharm

毁 and 伤 both refer to damaging or harming, so it names injuring or damaging.

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 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 →

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 傷; 伤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
𥏻
𥏻𥏻傷shāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傷 shows 人, a person, and uses 𥏻 to give the sound; the simplified 伤 is a later shorthand.

Open 伤 →

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