Word

破灭 (pò miè) — Chinese word meaning

HSK 7

Meaning of 破灭

动 dòng verb

to be shattered

他的梦想破灭了。

tā de mèng xiǎng pò miè le

His dreams were shattered.

Word breakdown

破 pò — break, shatter

灭 miè — extinguish, perish

1 扑灭 pū miè — extinguish, put out HSK 6
- 扑 to strike at, rush toward (the action of attacking the fire)
- 灭 to extinguish, eliminate (the result of putting out)
Example

消防员很快就扑灭了火灾。

xiāo fáng yuán hěn kuài jiù pū miè le huǒ zāi

The firefighters quickly extinguished the fire.
2 消灭 xiāo miè — to eliminate, to exterminate, to annihilate HSK 6
- 消 to dissolve, to make disappear
- 灭 to extinguish, to destroy completely
Example

科学家希望消灭这种疾病。

kē xué jiā xī wàng xiāo miè zhè zhǒng jí bìng

Scientists hope to eliminate this disease.
3 歼灭 jiān miè — annihilate HSK 7
- 歼 annihilate, destroy (military sense of total destruction)
- 灭 extinguish, eliminate (reinforces complete eradication)
Example

军队歼灭了敌人的主力部队。

jūn duì jiān miè le dí rén de zhǔ lì bù duì

The army annihilated the enemy's main forces.
4 毁灭 huǐ miè — destroy HSK 7
- 毁 damage, ruin
- 灭 extinguish, eliminate
Example

战争毁灭了整个城市。

zhàn zhēng huǐ miè le zhěng gè chéng shì

War destroyed the entire city.
5 灭亡 miè wáng — to perish, to be destroyed HSK 7
- 灭 to extinguish, to destroy
- 亡 to perish, to die out
Example

这个古老的文明最终灭亡了。

zhè ge gǔ lǎo de wén míng zuì zhōng miè wáng le

This ancient civilization eventually perished.

Show more (+2)

6 灭绝 miè jué — to become extinct HSK 7
- 灭 to extinguish, to destroy
- 绝 to cut off completely, to exhaust
Example

我们必须保护濒危物种，防止它们灭绝。

wǒ men bì xū bǎo hù bīn wēi wù zhǒng fáng zhǐ tā men miè jué

We must protect endangered species to prevent them from becoming extinct.
7 熄灭 xī miè — to extinguish; to go out HSK 7
- 熄 to put out (fire/light)
- 灭 to extinguish completely
Example

请熄灭香烟。

qǐng xī miè xiāng yān

Please extinguish your cigarette.

Structure & writing

1 破 pò — to break; become damaged or incomplete

破 is not used as a component in any other character.

consists of

1.1 石 shí — rock; stone (hard mineral matter forming the earth's crust)

石 is a component in 30 characters

HSK 3

矿 kuàng mineral resources 码 mǎ a symbol or figure representing a number; a code number 碗 wǎn bowl (a round vessel with a wide mouth and small base, used for holding food)

HSK 4

研 yán to grind finely 破 pò to break; become damaged or incomplete 础 chǔ foundation stone; stone base placed beneath a pillar 硕 shuò large; tall and big 确 què accurate; true; factual

HSK 5

硬 yìng hard; rigid (opposite of 软) 碌 lù mediocre; accomplishing nothing 碎 suì to break into pieces; to shatter 碰 pèng to collide; to bump into something

HSK 6

砍 kǎn to chop or hack with a knife, axe, etc. 砖 zhuān brick (building material made by firing clay in a kiln, usually rectangular or square) 碍 ài to hinder, obstruct 碳 tàn carbon (chemical element, symbol C, atomic number 6)

HSK 7

岩 yán steep cliff 拓 tuò to open up (land, roads) 砌 qì to lay bricks or stones with mortar 砸 zá to strike or smash with a heavy object; (of a heavy object) to fall on something 碑 bēi stone stele inscribed with text, erected to commemorate an event, achievement, or as a marker

Show more HSK 7 characters (+9)

碟 dié small shallow dish or saucer for food 碧 bì (lit.) blue-green jade 磁 cí magnetism; the property of attracting iron, nickel, cobalt and other metals 磅 bàng pound (unit of weight, symbol lb; 1 pound = 0.4536 kg) 磊 lěi (lit.) numerous and scattered in disorder (see "磊落") 磋 cuō (lit.) to carve or polish ivory into objects 磕 kē to knock against something hard 磨 mó to rub; to wear away 礁 jiāo reef; rock near the water surface in sea, river, or lake

1.2 皮 pí — skin; outer layer of tissue covering humans or organisms

皮 is a component in 11 characters

HSK 3

被 bèi a surname

HSK 4

破 pò to break; become damaged or incomplete

HSK 5

彼 bǐ that; that one (opposite of 此) 玻 bō see "玻璃": a hard, brittle, transparent material with no fixed melting point, made by melting quartz sand, limestone, soda ash, etc. at high temperature

HSK 6

坡 pō slope; incline 披 pī to drape over the shoulders 疲 pí tired; fatigued

HSK 7

波 bō waves on the surface of water (rivers, lakes, seas, etc.) 皱 zhòu wrinkle; crease on the skin or surface of an object 簸 bǒ to winnow (grain) by shaking in a flat basket to remove husks and chaff 颇 pō (lit.) biased; not upright

Stroke order

2 灭 miè — go out; stop burning or shining (opposite of 着)

灭 is not used as a component in any other character.

consists of

2.1 一 yī — the smallest positive integer; one (①used before a measure word ②used before a noun ③indicates a single action or a brief/tentative action)

一 is a component in 58 characters

HSK 1