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粉身碎骨

Mandarin · pinyin fěn shēn suì gǔ

(lit.) torn body and crushed bones (idiom)
(fig.) to die horribly; to sacrifice one's life

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Characters in this entry

粉: fěn · powder, face powder; plaster
身: shēn · body; trunk, hull; Kangxi radical 158
碎: suì · break, smash; broken, busted
骨: gǔ · bone; skeleton; frame, framework; Kangxi radical 188

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

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Mandarin tones

3–1–4–3 · fen3 shen1 sui4 gu3

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

fan2 san1 seoi3 gwat1

Cantonese word readings for 粉身碎骨. 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.

phrase

(idiomatic) to have one's body smashed to pieces; to die the most cruel death

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

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