破败

破敗

pòbài

adjective #31,664

Meanings

1 dilapidated
2 ruined; broken-down
3 (verb) to crush in battle; (of a family/state) to fall to ruin

Characters

broken; to break

to be defeated; ruined

Examples

村里只剩下几间破败的房屋。

Cūn lǐ zhǐ shèng xià jǐ jiān pòbài de fángwū.

Only a few dilapidated houses remained in the village.

战争之后，整个国家破败不堪。

Zhànzhēng zhīhòu, zhěnggè guójiā pòbài bùkān.

After the war the whole country was utterly ruined.

Tips

usage

Most often adjectival ('破败的房子', '破败的庭院') describing physically run-down buildings. As a verb it's literary, with senses 'to defeat in battle' or '(of a household/dynasty) to fall to ruin' — closer to 破灭 + 衰败.

Stroke Order

破 pò

败 bài