DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

支離破碎

简支离破碎 · 繁支離破碎

Mandarin · pinyin zhī lí pò suì

scattered and smashed (idiom)

Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

支: zhī · disperse, pay; support; branch
離: Look up this written character
破: pò · break, ruin, destroy; rout
碎: suì · break, smash; broken, busted
离: lí · rare beast; strange; elegant

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

1–2–4–4 · zhi1 li2 po4 sui4

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

4character links

Explore word families ↗Compare pronunciations ↗Open character structure ↗

Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.

Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

支離破碎 · find source passages ↗ · 支离破碎 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zi1 lei4 po3 seoi3

Cantonese word readings for 支離破碎. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

phrase

(idiomatic) all broken up; shattered; fragmented

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

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