Learn Chinese Character: 垮 To collapse, to fall apart

1. Character Basics

Radical: 土 (tǔ, earth/soil)

Stroke Count: 9

Stroke Order:

土夸垮

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: kuǎ

Tone: 3rd tone (falling-rising)

Audio:

3. Meaning

To collapse, to fall apart
To break down (physically or mentally)
To fail, to go bankrupt

4. Common Words

倒塌 dǎo tā To collapse, to fall down

垮台 kuǎ tái To fall from power, to collapse

垮掉 kuǎ diào To collapse, to break down

压垮 yā kuǎ To crush, to overwhelm

累垮 lèi kuǎ To be exhausted, to collapse from fatigue

打垮 dǎ kuǎ To defeat, to crush

5. Grammar & Usage

The character "垮" is most commonly used as a verb meaning "to collapse" or "to fall apart". It can describe physical structures collapsing, as well as abstract concepts like plans, organizations, or even a person's physical or mental state breaking down.

Describing physical collapse:

地震后，许多房屋都垮了。(Dìzhèn hòu, xǔduō fángwū dōu kuǎ le.) - After the earthquake, many houses collapsed.

Describing failure of plans or organizations:

由于管理不善，公司垮掉了。(Yóuyú guǎnlǐ bùshàn, gōngsī kuǎdiào le.) - Due to poor management, the company went bankrupt.

Describing physical or mental breakdown:

连续工作了三天，他终于累垮了。(Liánxù gōngzuòle sān tiān, tā zhōngyú lèikuǎ le.) - After working for three consecutive days, he finally collapsed from exhaustion.

In the phrase "垮台":

这个腐败的政权最终垮台了。(Zhège fǔbài de zhèngquán zuìzhōng kuǎtái le.) - This corrupt regime finally fell from power.

6. Cultural Background

The character "垮" is formed by combining "土" (tǔ, earth/soil) and "夸" (kuā, to praise). One interpretation is that it relates to the idea of the earth or ground giving way, which aligns with its meaning of collapse. In Chinese culture, there is a strong emphasis on stability and resilience, so words like "垮" often carry negative connotations of failure or breakdown.

In traditional Chinese architecture, the stability of buildings was of utmost importance, especially in regions prone to earthquakes. This cultural value is reflected in the language through the use of characters like "垮" to describe structural failure.

7. Example Sentence

不要让压力压垮你。

Bùyào ràng yālì yā kuǎ nǐ.

Don't let pressure overwhelm you.

8. Memory Tips

To remember the character "垮", look at its structure: it consists of "土" (tǔ, earth/soil) and "夸" (kuā, to praise). You can imagine the earth (土) "夸"ing too much and then collapsing under its own weight. The pronunciation "kuǎ" is similar to "夸" (kuā) but with a different tone.

Another way to remember it is to associate it with the concept of something made of earth or soil (like a house or wall) collapsing, which ties in with its radical "土".