Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 銷毀 / 销毁 | xiāohuǐ |
| 摧毀 / 摧毁 | cuīhuǐ |
| 破壞 / 破坏 | pòhuài |
| 毀壞 / 毁坏 | huǐhuài |
Chinese uses different terms for 'destroy' depending on the nature of the target and the intent of the action. For example, if you are eliminating or eradicating something completely, such as pests or a disease, you would use 消灭 (xiāo miè). If you are describing the profound destruction caused by disastrous events like natural disasters or the annihilation of a civilization, use 毁灭 (huǐ miè). For the deliberate destruction of objects, buildings or relationships caused by human activity, 破坏 (pòhuài) is appropriate. If the destruction involves physically breaking something apart or causing a collapse, such as demolishing structures or military targets, use 摧毁 (cuīhuǐ).
What does it mean word for word?
The word 破壞 / 破坏 is composed of 破 (to break or split) and 壞 (to be bad, broken or ruined).
Which one should you use?
The various forms are distinguished by their specific contexts: 銷毀 / 销毁 is used specifically when the intent is to dispose of or eliminate items like evidence, documents or goods to make them unusable. 摧毀 / 摧毁 is used for the violent or forceful destruction of large-scale things, such as buildings, cities, enemy armies or abstract concepts like one's spirit. 破壞 / 破坏 is used when referring to damaging an object, breaking a rule or disrupting a state of affairs like peace or order. Finally, 毀壞 / 毁坏 describes the physical deterioration or damage of an object that results in it being broken or ruined.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization for 銷毀 / 销毁 is xiāohuǐ.
Did you know?
- The term 銷毀 / 销毁 uses the character 銷, which also means 'to melt' or 'to smelt', reflecting the historical practice of destroying metal weapons or coins by melting them down.
- The term 摧 (cuī) in 摧毀 carries a nuance of 'plucking' or 'breaking a stem', a botanical image that suggests a sudden, forceful snapping of something once it was upright and strong.
- In the term 摧毀 (cuīhuǐ), the second character 毀 (huǐ) is also used in the word for 'insult' or 'slander', implying that attacking someone's reputation is a form of verbal destruction.
Examples in context
- 这座城市被战火毁灭了This city was destroyed by war.
- 他故意破坏了我的计划He deliberately destroyed my plan.
- 他们摧毁了敌人的防线They destroyed the enemy's defense line.
- 这种病毒被成功消灭了This virus has been successfully eradicated.
- 别毁掉我们的约定Don't ruin our agreement.
- 拆掉你的面具Tear down your mask
- 这场事故把我的计划都毁了This accident destroyed all my plans.
- 我不小心把手机玩儿坏了I accidentally destroyed my phone while playing with it.
- 你知道这个建筑物被怎样毁灭的吗？Do you know how this building was destroyed?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “destroy” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
