毁掉 (huǐ diào) — to destroy completely, to ruin

Definition

毁掉 means to destroy or ruin completely, with a result complement 掉 emphasizing the finish — a stronger, more decisive alternative to plain 破坏.

verb
to destroy completelyto ruin

Examples

  • 毁掉。
    Tā bǎ jiù fáng zi huǐ diào le.
    He destroyed the old house.
  • 毁掉。
    Zhè chǎng dà huǒ huǐ diào le tā suǒ yǒu de xī wàng.
    This big fire destroyed all his hopes.
  • 毁掉。
    Yáo yán huì huǐ diào yí gè rén de míng shēng.
    Rumors can ruin a person's reputation.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

毁huǐdestroy
掉diàooff

毁 destroy + 掉 off gives destroying completely.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
卓
卓zhuó掉diào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

掉 is built from 扌 (a hand) and 卓, which gives the pronunciation.

Open 掉 →

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