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葬送 (zàng sòng) — to ruin, to destroy (one's future, hopes, career, etc.)

Definition

葬送 (zàngsòng) is a strong, written verb meaning to ruin or destroy something abstract — typically one's future, career, or hopes. It carries the force of 'to do something in that brings about ruin,' not just ordinary harm.

verb
to ruinto destroy (one's future, hopes, career, etc.)

Examples

  • 葬送。
    Tā de yì shí chōng dòng zàng sòng le zì jǐ de qián tú.
    His momentary impulse ruined his own future.
  • 葬送。
    Zhè ge cuò wù zàng sòng le tā de zhěng gè shì yè.
    This mistake ruined his entire career.
  • ，葬送。
    Rú guǒ wǒ men bù nǔ lì, jiù huì zàng sòng dà hǎo jī huì.
    If we don't work hard, we'll ruin great opportunities.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

葬zàngbury
送sòngsend

葬 means bury and 送 means send off, so the combined idea is to bury or waste hopes.

Characters in this word

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

  • 茻茻mǎnggrass
  • 死死sǐdead person

In 葬, 死, a dead person, is shown in 茻, grass, to picture burying the dead in grass.

Open 葬 →

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
辶Written in full as辵chuòto walk
Sound part声符shēngfú
灷
灷zhuàn送sòng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

送 combines 辶, the walking radical, with 灷, which supplies the sound; the walking part fits meanings like see off or deliver.

Open 送 →
Appears in
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