Meaning
碎 describes something that has been broken into small pieces or fragments. It can function as an adjective meaning 'broken' or 'fragmented,' or as a verb meaning 'to shatter' or 'to break apart.' The character contains the radical 石 (stone), suggesting the breaking of hard materials.
Usage
Native speakers commonly use 碎 to describe broken glass, dishes, or anything shattered into fragments. It's frequently combined with other characters to form compounds like 粉碎 (smashed to powder) or 破碎 (broken and shattered). The verb usage often appears in resultative compounds like 打碎 (to break by hitting) or 摔碎 (to break by dropping).
Examples
- 01我不小心把杯子摔碎了。.I accidentally dropped and broke the cup.
- 02玻璃碎了一地。.The glass shattered all over the floor.
Common collocations
- 打碎to break by hitting, to smash
- 摔碎to break by dropping
- 心碎heartbroken
- 零碎fragmentary, odds and ends
Antonyms
Origin
The character combines 石 (stone) with 卒 (foot soldier/abrupt end), suggesting the image of stones being suddenly broken into pieces.