DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

突破

Mandarin · pinyin tū pò

to break through
to make a breakthrough
to surmount (an obstacle)
(sports) to break through the opponent's defense

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Characters in this entry

突: tū · suddenly, abruptly, unexpectedly
破: pò · break, ruin, destroy; rout

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

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Mandarin tones

1–4 · tu1 po4

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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.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 3 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

dat6 po3

Cantonese word readings for 突破. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

verb

(literally, military) to breach a main defense position; to pierce; to penetrate
(figuratively) to make a breakthrough

noun

breakthrough

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

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