TongTong
Sign in

碎裂 (suì liè) — to shatter into small pieces

Definition

verb
to shatter into small pieces

Examples

  • ，碎裂。
    Bēi zi diào zài dì shàng, suì liè le.
    The cup fell on the ground and shattered into pieces.
  • 碎裂，。
    Bīng miàn suì liè, liè kāi le hěn duō fèng.
    The ice surface shattered, cracking into many crevices.
  • ，碎裂。
    Dì zhèn shí, xǔ duō bō li chuāng dōu suì liè le.
    During the earthquake, many glass windows shattered.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

碎suìbreak
裂liècrack

碎 names breaking and 裂 names cracking, together shattering.

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shístone
Sound part声符shēngfú
卒
卒zú碎suì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

碎 pairs 石 (stone) with 卒, which gives the sound; the stone part is tied to the sense of breaking or smashing.

Open 碎 →

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
衣衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
列
列liè裂liè
Same sound today

裂 combines 衣 (clothes) with 列 for the sound. The picture of 列 shows bones cut by a blade and lined up, and the whole writes the idea of cutting and tearing clothes.

Open 裂 →
Appears in
Change & Process

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.