HSK · Level 10
135 words
Chinese word
破
Pronunciation
Pinyinpò
Meaning
- verbtear
Example
我的衬衫破了。wǒ de chèn shān pò le
My shirt tore.
More examples
他的轮胎破了。tā de lún tāi pò le
His tire went flat.
Core concept
The boundary or structure of something fails, creating a gap or breaking the form that held it together.
Common phrases
衣服破了yī fú pò le
Clothes tore
鞋子破了xié zi pò le
Shoes wore out
把玻璃打破了bǎ bō lí dǎ pò le
break the glass
Similar words
撕sī: Pull something apart until it tears.
裂开liè kāi: Open along a split or crack.
破裂pò liè: Split open suddenly because of force from inside.
Definition in Chinese
使某物产生裂口或洞，使原来的整体性被破坏；也可引申为抽象事物受到破坏或打破。shǐ mǒu wù chǎn shēng liè kǒu huò dòng shǐ yuán lái de zhéng tǐ xìng bèi pò huài yě kě yǐn shēn wèi chōu xiàng shì wù shòu dào pò huài huò dǎ pò
Word origin
The character 破 (pò, "break") combines the meaning-bearing 石 (shí, "stone") with the sound-bearing 皮 (pí, "skin"), and its basic sense of breaking apart supports both physical and figurative uses.
Usage tips
- In Chinese, the same core verb can describe a torn object and a disrupted plan or arrangement, so its range is broader than the most common physical use of English tear.