Meaning
拆散 means to forcibly separate people who are together, especially lovers, families, or close groups. It carries a connotation of external interference causing unwanted separation. The word can also mean to dismantle or take apart physical objects into separate pieces.
Usage
Most commonly used when describing the separation of romantic couples by external forces (parents, circumstances, third parties). It implies the separation is unwelcome or tragic. Less commonly, it can refer to breaking up a set of objects or dismantling something physical. The word has emotional weight and is not used casually.
Examples
- 01她父母坚决反对这段感情，想方设法要拆散他们。, .Her parents firmly opposed this relationship and tried every means to break them up.
- 02战争拆散了无数家庭，让很多人流离失所。, .The war separated countless families and left many people displaced and homeless.
Characters
Common collocations
- 拆散一对恋人to break up a couple
- 被拆散to be separated (by others)
- 硬要拆散to insist on breaking up (a relationship)
Antonyms
Origin
The word combines 拆 (to tear apart, dismantle) with 散 (to scatter, disperse), literally meaning to tear apart and scatter. This concrete image of physical dismantling extended metaphorically to describe separating people or relationships.