摧枯拉朽

Cantonese · source Jyutpingceoi1 fu1 laai1 nau2

Meanings

  1. to describe something that can easily be destroyed as it is already in ruins
About these definitions

Source definition segments, in their original order. Characters a definition cites are shown without their Mandarin pinyin; classifier lists that CC-Canto copied from CC-CEDICT are marked Mandarin. The community dictionary is not independently verified by zimai.

Full entryShow on map

Reading & tones

Schematic citation-tone diagrams from the source numbers. These are not recordings or predictions of connected speech.

Same syllable, six tones

naunau1—纽nau2to turnnau3—nau4—nau5—耨nau6hoe

Characters whose customary Unihan reading (kCantonese) is this syllable in each tone, chosen as in the tone atlas (2013 standard level, then the number of CC-CEDICT words they form), with CC-Canto 2017's meaning for that reading; a dash means no catalogue character has that reading. Checked syllables (-p, -t, -k) normally carry tones 1, 3 and 6. Character readings, not word readings; no frequency implied.

Explore words with this reading ↗

Written characters

Both source spellings are represented. Written membership is not an etymological or semantic claim.

Cantonese characters and the Mandarin bridge ↗

Mandarin comparison · separate source entries

CC-Canto includes this pinyin reference: cui1 ku1 la1 xiu3. It does not establish a Mandarin word with the same meaning.

Look up this spelling in the Mandarin dictionary ↗
Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

  1. (idiomatic) easily destroyed or crushed

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

CC-Canto · Pleco Inc. · edition 2017-02-02
Source line 8,898 · Original publisher · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Edition & transformations
Exact source record & identity摧枯拉朽 摧枯拉朽 [cui1 ku1 la1 xiu3] {ceoi1 fu1 laai1 nau2} /to describe something that can easily be destroyed as it is already in ruins/

SHA-256: e6bde87cb29bf2b6b3ddda56f54ccf236f3b80ada48f24edd8eaf4a20fcd061f