====== suì: 碎 - Broken, Shattered, Fragmented ======
===== Quick Summary =====
  * **Keywords:** sui, suì, 碎, what does sui mean in Chinese, broken in Chinese, shattered in Chinese, Chinese word for fragmented, 碎了, 破碎, 心碎, 零碎, break into pieces
  * **Summary:** Discover the meaning of **碎 (suì)**, the essential Chinese word for "broken," "shattered," or "fragmented." This guide explores how **碎 (suì)** is used to describe everything from a shattered phone screen to a broken heart (心碎), offering deep cultural insights and practical examples for beginner to intermediate learners. Learn the key difference between **碎 (suì)** and other Chinese words for "broken" to use it like a native speaker.
===== Core Meaning =====
  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** suì
  * **Part of Speech:** Verb, Adjective
  * **HSK Level:** HSK 4
  * **Concise Definition:** To break into small pieces; to be shattered, fragmented, or incomplete.
  * **In a Nutshell:** **碎 (suì)** is the word you use when something breaks into many little pieces. Imagine dropping a glass plate—it doesn't just break, it **shatters**. That's **碎**. This concept applies not only to physical objects like glass or phone screens but also metaphorically to abstract things like hearts, dreams, and even time, describing a state of being scattered and in pieces.
===== Character Breakdown =====
  * **碎** is a phono-semantic compound character, meaning one part gives the meaning and the other gives the sound.
  * **石 (shí):** The radical on the left means "stone" or "rock." This is the semantic (meaning) component, telling us the character is related to a hard object that can be broken.
  * **卒 (zú):** The component on the right originally meant "soldier" or "to finish." Here, it primarily serves as the phonetic (sound) component, giving the character its `suì` pronunciation.
  * **Mnemonic:** You can think of a soldier (卒) striking a rock (石) until it **shatters** into pieces. The combination of "stone" and the `zú` sound creates the vivid image of something hard being broken into fragments.
===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
  * **Physical vs. Emotional Shattering:** While English has the term "heartbroken," the Chinese equivalent **心碎 (xīnsuì)** is far more literal and visceral—it means "heart-shattered." The Chinese language directly applies the physical image of a shattered object to the intense emotional pain of heartbreak or despair. This reflects a tendency to use concrete, physical metaphors to describe powerful emotional states.
  * **Comparison to "Broken":** In English, the word "broken" is a broad catch-all. A broken toy, a broken promise, and a broken computer are all "broken." Chinese is more precise. **碎 (suì)** is for shattering.
    * A malfunctioning car is **坏了 (huàile)** - "broken/spoiled."
    * A snapped rope is **断了 (duànle)** - "snapped/severed."
    * A glass that fell and shattered is **碎了 (suìle)**.
    * Understanding this distinction is a major step toward sounding more natural in Chinese. **碎** implies a specific kind of destruction: into many small pieces.
===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
  * **Literal Breakage:** This is the most common use. You'll hear it constantly in daily life when things fall and break.
    * //"My phone screen is shattered!" - 我的手机屏幕**碎**了！(Wǒ de shǒujī píngmù suìle!)//
  * **Figurative Fragmentation:** **碎** is used to describe things that are piecemeal, detailed, or incoherent.
    * **零碎 (língsuì):** This common compound means "fragmented" or "odds and ends." You can have `零碎的时间` (fragmented bits of time) or `零碎的钱` (loose change).
    * **嘴碎 (zuǐsuì):** A colloquial term describing someone who is a chatterbox, gossipy, or nagging. Their words are like little, annoying fragments.
  * **Social Media:** It's common and often humorous for people to post a picture of their cracked phone screen with the caption **心碎了 (xīnsuìle)**, playfully equating the material loss with a broken heart.
===== Example Sentences =====
  * **Example 1:**
    * 杯子掉在地上，**碎**了。
    * Pinyin: Bēizi diào zài dìshang, **suì**le.
    * English: The cup fell on the floor and shattered.
    * Analysis: This is the most classic and literal use of **碎**. The particle `了 (le)` indicates the action is complete.
  * **Example 2:**
    * 听到这个坏消息，她的心都**碎**了。
    * Pinyin: Tīngdào zhège huài xiāoxi, tā de xīn dōu **suì**le.
    * English: Upon hearing the bad news, her heart completely broke.
    * Analysis: A standard example of the figurative use in the compound `心碎 (xīnsuì)`. The word `都 (dōu)` adds emphasis, meaning "completely" or "entirely."
  * **Example 3:**
    * 我的手机屏幕**碎**了，什么都看不清了。
    * Pinyin: Wǒ de shǒujī píngmù **suì**le, shénme dōu kànbuqīng le.
    * English: My phone screen is shattered, I can't see anything clearly.
    * Analysis: A highly practical sentence in the modern world. `屏幕 (píngmù)` means "screen."
  * **Example 4:**
    * 请帮我把这些蒜瓣**捣碎**。
    * Pinyin: Qǐng bāng wǒ bǎ zhèxiē suànbàn **dǎosuì**.
    * English: Please help me mash/crush these garlic cloves.
    * Analysis: Here, **碎** is part of the verb `捣碎 (dǎosuì)`, which means "to pound until shattered." The `把 (bǎ)` structure is used to show disposal of the object (`这些蒜瓣`).
  * **Example 5:**
    * 我只有一些关于童年**零碎**的记忆。
    * Pinyin: Wǒ zhǐyǒu yīxiē guānyú tóngnián **língsuì** de jìyì.
    * English: I only have some fragmented memories of my childhood.
    * Analysis: Uses the adjective `零碎 (língsuì)` to describe memories that are not whole or continuous, but rather exist in "bits and pieces."
  * **Example 6:**
    * 他的梦想被残酷的现实**击碎**了。
    * Pinyin: Tā de mèngxiǎng bèi cánkù de xiànshí **jīsuì**le.
    * English: His dreams were shattered by cruel reality.
    * Analysis: `击碎 (jīsuì)` means "to strike and shatter." It's a powerful, literary verb often used for abstract concepts like dreams, hopes, or confidence. The `被 (bèi)` indicates the passive voice.
  * **Example 7:**
    * 你能不能别这么**嘴碎**？让我安静一会儿。
    * Pinyin: Nǐ néng bu néng bié zhème **zuǐsuì**? Ràng wǒ ānjìng yīhuǐr.
    * English: Can you stop being so chatty/naggy? Let me have some peace and quiet.
    * Analysis: This showcases the colloquial term `嘴碎 (zuǐsuì)`, which has a negative connotation of someone who talks too much about trivial or annoying things.
  * **Example 8:**
    * 他把事情的经过说得很**碎**，连最小的细节都包括了。
    * Pinyin: Tā bǎ shìqing de jīngguò shuō de hěn **suì**, lián zuìxiǎo de xìjié dōu bāokuò le.
    * English: He explained what happened in great detail (very finely), including even the smallest details.
    * Analysis: This is a nuanced use. `说得很碎` means to break down the narrative into its smallest components. Here, it's neutral or even positive, implying thoroughness rather than incoherence.
  * **Example 9:**
    * 地震后，整个城市变成了一片**破碎**的瓦砾。
    * Pinyin: Dìzhèn hòu, zhěnggè chéngshì biànchéngle yīpiàn **pòsuì** de wǎlì.
    * English: After the earthquake, the entire city became a stretch of shattered rubble.
    * Analysis: `破碎 (pòsuì)` is a more formal and slightly more intense synonym for `碎`. It's often used in written language or to describe large-scale destruction.
  * **Example 10:**
    * 我把口袋里所有的**零碎**钱都用来买咖啡了。
    * Pinyin: Wǒ bǎ kǒudài lǐ suǒyǒu de **língsuì** qián dōu yònglái mǎi kāfēi le.
    * English: I used all the loose change in my pocket to buy coffee.
    * Analysis: `零碎钱 (língsuì qián)` is a fixed phrase for "loose change" or "small bills and coins"—money that is fragmented and not in large denominations.
===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
  * **The most common mistake for English speakers is using 碎 (suì) for any type of "broken."** Remember the distinction:
    * **碎 (suì):** Shattered into many pieces (glass, mirror, plate, screen, heart, dream).
    * **断 (duàn):** Snapped in two or a few pieces (rope, stick, pencil, bone).
    * **坏 (huài):** Malfunctioning, spoiled (computer, watch, car, food).
  * **Incorrect Usage:** //我的手表**碎**了。// (Wǒ de shǒubiǎo **suì**le.)
  * **Why it's wrong:** This sentence means "My watch shattered into pieces," which is possible, but highly unlikely. If the watch simply stopped working, the correct sentence is:
  * **Correct Usage:** //我的手表**坏**了。// (Wǒ de shǒubiǎo **huài**le.)
  * **Incorrect Usage:** //筷子**碎**了。// (Kuàizi **suì**le.)
  * **Why it's wrong:** A chopstick would snap in half, not shatter.
  * **Correct Usage:** //筷子**断**了。// (Kuàizi **duàn**le.)
===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
  * **[[破碎]] (pòsuì)** - A more formal or literary synonym for "shattered."
  * **[[零碎]] (língsuì)** - An adjective or noun meaning "fragmented," "in bits and pieces," or "odds and ends."
  * **[[心碎]] (xīnsuì)** - The direct word for "heartbroken," literally "heart-shattered."
  * **[[粉碎]] (fěnsuì)** - To pulverize or smash into powder. This is an even more extreme form of destruction than `碎`.
  * **[[击碎]] (jīsuì)** - To smash or shatter with a blow, used for both physical objects and abstract concepts like hopes.
  * **[[嘴碎]] (zuǐsuì)** - A colloquial adjective for someone who is overly chatty, gossipy, or nagging.
  * **[[断]] (duàn)** - (Contrast) To snap or break into two or more large pieces. The opposite of a unified whole, but different from shattering.
  * **[[坏]] (huài)** - (Contrast) To be broken in the sense of malfunctioning or being spoiled.
  * **[[完整]] (wánzhěng)** - (Antonym) Complete, whole, intact.