残破不堪

殘破不堪

cánpò-bùkān

idiom

Meanings

1 utterly broken down
2 in ruins
3 dilapidated beyond bearing

Characters

damaged, remnant

Examples

战后的城市残破不堪。

Zhànhòu de chéngshì cánpòbùkān.

The post-war city lay in ruins.

这座老房子已经残破不堪。

Zhè zuò lǎofángzi yǐjīng cánpòbùkān.

This old house is dilapidated beyond repair.

他拿出一本残破不堪的旧书。

Tā náchū yīběn cánpòbùkān de jiùshū.

He pulled out a thoroughly battered old book.

Tips

grammar

The X不堪 pattern means 'X beyond bearing' — 残破不堪 = 'broken beyond bearing.' Compare 疲惫不堪 (exhausted beyond endurance), 狼狈不堪 (miserably wretched). Very productive construction.

Stroke Order

残 cán

破 pò

不 bù

堪 kān