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破坏 (pò huài) — to destroy, to damage, to wreck

Definition

破坏 is a general-purpose 'to destroy / damage' (things, systems, relationships, environment). Stronger and broader than 破; weaker and more reversible than 毁灭 or 摧毁 (total annihilation).

verb
to destroyto damageto wreck

Examples

  • 破坏。
    Dì zhèn pò huài le xǔ duō fáng wū.
    The earthquake destroyed many houses.
  • 破坏。
    Qǐng bié pò huài huán jìng.
    Please don't damage the environment.
  • 破坏。
    Zhàn zhēng pò huài le nà zuò chéng shì.
    The war destroyed that city.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

破pòbreak
坏huàidamaged

破 means break, and 坏 means damaged; together they convey destroying something.

Characters in this word

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
石石shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
皮
皮pí破pò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

破 has 石 (stone) as its meaning part and 皮 as its sound part.

Open 破 →

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 壞; 坏 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
褱
褱huái壞huài
Same sound today

For the traditional form 壞, 土 (earth) is the meaning part and 褱 supplies the sound; earth is used because something that rots eventually becomes earth. This is about 壞, not the simplified 坏.

Open 坏 →
Appears in
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