HSK · Level 19
135 words
Chinese word
垮
Pronunciation
Pinyinkuǎ
Meaning
- verbcollapse
Example
那座桥快要垮了。nà zuò qiáo kuài yào kuǎ le
That bridge is about to collapse.
More examples
他的声誉一夜之间就垮了。tā de shēng yù yí yè zhī jiān jiù kuǎ le
His reputation fell apart overnight.
Core concept
A load overwhelms its support, causing a sudden breakdown that can affect an object, an undertaking, or inner strength.
Common phrases
垮台kuǎ tái
fall apart
垮掉kuǎ diào
fall apart
Similar words
坍塌tān tā: Collapse and fall when soil, a building, or another structure becomes unstable.
崩溃bēng kuì: Suffer a breakdown that leaves a person or organization unable to function.
垮台kuǎ tái: Collapse after failure, causing an organization or ruling power to end.
倒塌dǎo tā: Fall down and collapse as a building or other structure loses its support.
Definition in Chinese
指建筑物、物体等因受力或支撑丧失而部分或全部倒塌；也可用于比喻，表示事业、计划或人的精神等突然崩溃或失败。zhǐ jiàn zhù wù wù tǐ děng yīn shòu lì huò zhī chēng sàng shī ér bù fèn huò quán bù dǎo tā yě kě yòng yú bǐ yù biǎo shì shì yè jì huà huò rén de jīng shén děng tū rán bēng kuì huò shī bài
Word origin
The written form 垮 (kuǎ, "collapse") combines 土 (tǔ, "earth") + 夸 (kuā, "boast"): the first component points to the meaning and the second indicates the pronunciation.
Usage tips
- The form 快要垮了 (kuài yào kuǎ le, "be close to collapsing") describes an approaching breakdown, while the subject shows whether the context is physical or figurative.
Other meanings
- fall downverb
- failverb
Opposites
- 巩固gǒng gùconsolidateverb
Related words
- 垮台kuǎ táifallverb
- 垮掉kuǎ diàofall apartverb