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涣散 (huàn sǎn) — (of discipline, morale, organization) to become slack; lax; disorganized

Definition

Used for groups, discipline, or morale slipping into disorder or lack of cohesion — not a general word for 'messy' but specifically for collective state falling apart.

verb
(of discipline, morale, organization) to become slacklaxdisorganized

Examples

  • 涣散。
    Zhè ge tuán duì de jì lǜ fēi cháng huàn sǎn.
    This team's discipline is very lax.
  • 涣散，。
    Gōng sī nèi bù rén xīn huàn sǎn, jí xū gǎi gé.
    Morale within the company is scattered; reform is urgently needed.
  • 涣散。
    Cháng qī quē fá guǎn lǐ huì dǎo zhì zǔ zhī huàn sǎn.
    Long-term lack of management can lead to organizational disorganization.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

涣huànscatter
散sànloosen

涣 and 散 both suggest scattering or loosening, so 涣散 describes discipline becoming lax.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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

  • 林林líntrees, forest
  • 攴攴pūto knock, to tap

散 combines 林 (trees or forest) and 攴 (to knock or tap), originally showing knocking to clear vegetation, later extended to breaking up or dispersing.

Open 散 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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