破财 (pò cái) — to suffer financial loss (often unexpectedly or unavoidably)

Definition

Literally 'break wealth' — a set phrase meaning to lose money, usually unexpectedly (a sudden bill, a bad deal). Almost always paired with 免灾 in the saying 破财免灾 (lose money to avert disaster).

verb
to suffer financial loss (often unexpectedly or unavoidably)

Examples

  • 破财。
    Zhè cì xiū chē ràng wǒ pò cái le.
    This car repair made me suffer a financial loss.
  • ，。
    Tā zuò shēng yi pò le cái, xīn qíng hěn bù hǎo.
    He suffered a financial loss in business and was in a bad mood.
  • ，破财。
    Bié nán guò, pò cái miǎn zāi ma.
    Don't be sad — losing money averts disaster.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

破pòbreak
财cáiwealth

破 means break, and 财 refers to money or wealth that is lost.

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 財; 财 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell
Sound part声符shēngfú
才
才cái財cái
Same sound today

The traditional form 財 has 貝 (shell) next to 才, which gives the sound; the simplified 财 is a later shorthand.

Open 财 →

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