dǎsuì: 打碎 - To Shatter, To Smash, To Break into Pieces

• Keywords: 打碎, dasui, dǎsuì, break into pieces, shatter in Chinese, smash, Chinese verb for breaking, resultative complement, Chinese grammar, 打破 vs 打碎, how to say broken in Chinese.
• Summary: Learn how to use the common Chinese verb 打碎 (dǎsuì), which means “to shatter” or “to break into pieces.” This page provides a comprehensive guide for beginners, covering its literal meaning of smashing a glass or plate, and its metaphorical use for shattering dreams or illusions. Discover the key cultural superstition associated with breaking things during Chinese New Year, understand its grammar as a resultative verb, and see 10 practical example sentences to master its usage in real conversations.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): dǎsuì
• Part of Speech: Verb (Resultative Complement)
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: To hit or drop something causing it to break into many pieces.
• In a Nutshell: 打碎 (dǎsuì) is a compound verb that describes both an action and its result. 打 (dǎ) is the action “to hit,” and 碎 (suì) is the result “shattered” or “in pieces.” Together, they form a specific and vivid picture of something, usually fragile like glass or porcelain, being completely broken into fragments. Think of the sound and image of dropping a plate on a tile floor—that's a perfect scenario for 打碎.

• 打 (dǎ): This character's core meaning is “to hit,” “to strike,” or “to beat.” The radical on the left, 扌, is the “hand” radical, indicating an action performed with the hands.
• 碎 (suì): This character means “to break into pieces,” “fragmented,” or “smashed.” The radical on the left, 石 (shí), means “stone.” This hints at the idea of smashing something hard, like a rock, into smaller bits.
• Combined Meaning: The logic is straightforward: an action of hitting (打) leads to a result of being in pieces (碎). This creates the powerful and descriptive verb “to shatter.”

The act of breaking things, especially during important times, carries significant cultural weight in China. The most famous example relates to Chinese New Year (春节, Chūnjié). If someone accidentally 打碎 a bowl, plate, or cup during the festival period, it's considered a bad omen, suggesting a fragmentation of family unity or fortune in the coming year. To counteract this bad luck, people will immediately say the auspicious phrase: 岁岁平安 (suì suì píng'ān), which means “Peace year after year.” This is a clever use of a homophone: the character for “shatter” (碎, suì) sounds exactly the same as the character for “year” (岁, suì). By saying this phrase, they turn the negative event of “shattering” into a positive wish for “yearly” peace, effectively neutralizing the bad luck with a linguistic remedy. This is different from the Western superstition of “seven years of bad luck” for breaking a mirror. While both cultures see breaking certain items as unlucky, the Chinese custom provides an immediate, proactive verbal “fix” rooted in the sound of the language itself. It’s a beautiful example of how language, culture, and belief are intertwined.

打碎 is a very common word used in everyday life. Its usage can be divided into two main categories:

• Literal Usage: This is the most frequent use, referring to the physical act of shattering a fragile object. It's a neutral description of an event.
  • Contexts: Dropping dishes, a child throwing a toy, a ball hitting a window.
  • Common Objects: 碗 (wǎn, bowl), 盘子 (pánzi, plate), 杯子 (bēizi, cup), 玻璃 (bōli, glass), 镜子 (jìngzi, mirror), 花瓶 (huāpíng, vase).
• Metaphorical Usage: 打碎 can also be used for abstract concepts, carrying a strong, often negative, connotation of complete destruction.
  • 打碎梦想 (dǎsuì mèngxiǎng): to shatter a dream.
  • 打碎幻想 (dǎsuì huànxiǎng): to shatter an illusion.
  • 打碎希望 (dǎsuì xīwàng): to shatter hope.
  • In revolutionary or social contexts, it can have a positive, radical meaning, as in 打碎旧世界 (dǎsuì jiù shìjiè), meaning “to smash the old world” to create a new one.

• Example 1:
  • 他不小心把杯子打碎了。
  • Pinyin: Tā bù xiǎoxīn bǎ bēizi dǎsuì le.
  • English: He accidentally shattered the cup.
  • Analysis: A perfect, classic example using the `把 (bǎ)` construction, which is very common with `打碎` to show disposal or effect on an object.
• Example 2:
  • 谁打碎了窗户？
  • Pinyin: Shéi dǎsuì le chuānghu?
  • English: Who shattered the window?
  • Analysis: A simple question about who caused the action. `了 (le)` indicates the action is complete.
• Example 3:
  • 我的手机屏幕打碎了，现在什么也看不见。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de shǒujī píngmù dǎsuì le, xiànzài shénme yě kàn bú jiàn.
  • English: My phone screen is shattered, now I can't see anything.
  • Analysis: A very practical, modern example. Note how the screen is the subject, indicating it “got shattered.”
• Example 4:
  • 这个花瓶是被猫打碎的。
  • Pinyin: Zhège huāpíng shì bèi māo dǎsuì de.
  • English: This vase was shattered by the cat.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses the passive voice with `被 (bèi)` to emphasize that the cat was the agent of the action.
• Example 5:
  • 妈妈告诉弟弟不要在屋里踢球，免得打碎东西。
  • Pinyin: Māma gàosù dìdi búyào zài wū li tīqiú, miǎndé dǎsuì dōngxi.
  • English: Mom told my younger brother not to play soccer in the house, lest he break something.
  • Analysis: Here, `打碎` is used in a hypothetical warning about a potential future event.
• Example 6:
  • 现实打碎了他成为明星的梦想。
  • Pinyin: Xiànshí dǎsuì le tā chéngwéi míngxīng de mèngxiǎng.
  • English: Reality shattered his dream of becoming a star.
  • Analysis: A clear metaphorical use. “Reality” is the abstract force that “shatters” the abstract concept of a “dream.”
• Example 7:
  • 清理这些打碎的玻璃时要小心。
  • Pinyin: Qīnglǐ zhèxiē dǎsuì de bōli shí yào xiǎoxīn.
  • English: Be careful when cleaning up this shattered glass.
  • Analysis: Here, `打碎的 (dǎsuì de)` functions as an adjective modifying “glass” (玻璃).
• Example 8:
  • 他一气之下，把桌子上的所有东西都打碎了。
  • Pinyin: Tā yí qì zhīxià, bǎ zhuōzi shàng de suǒyǒu dōngxi dōu dǎsuì le.
  • English: In a fit of anger, he smashed everything on the table.
  • Analysis: This shows the intentional and forceful nature `打碎` can have, linked to strong emotion.
• Example 9:
  • 这个古董碗很值钱，千万别打碎了。
  • Pinyin: Zhège gǔdǒng wǎn hěn zhíqián, qiānwàn bié dǎsuì le.
  • English: This antique bowl is very valuable, whatever you do, don't shatter it.
  • Analysis: A negative command using `别 (bié)`, warning against the action.
• Example 10:
  • 听到这个坏消息，她感觉自己的心都打碎了。
  • Pinyin: Tīngdào zhège huài xiāoxi, tā gǎnjué zìjǐ de xīn dōu dǎsuì le.
  • English: Hearing this bad news, she felt as if her heart had shattered.
  • Analysis: While `心碎 (xīnsuì)` (heartbroken) is a fixed term, this phrasing creatively uses `打碎` to achieve a similar, very vivid emotional description.

A common point of confusion for learners is the difference between 打碎 (dǎsuì), 打破 (dǎpò), and 弄坏 (nònghuài). They all mean “to break,” but are not interchangeable.

• 打碎 (dǎsuì): To break into many pieces. Use this for brittle things that shatter.
  • Correct: 我打碎了盘子。(Wǒ dǎsuì le pánzi.) - I shattered the plate.
  • Incorrect: 我打碎了我的电脑。(Wǒ dǎsuì le wǒ de diànnǎo.) - A computer doesn't shatter into small pieces.
• 打破 (dǎpò): To break a hole in something, or to break a record/silence. The result is “pierced” or “broken,” but not necessarily into many fragments.
  • Correct: 他打破了世界纪录。(Tā dǎpò le shìjiè jìlù.) - He broke the world record.
  • Correct: 球打破了窗户。(Qiú dǎpò le chuānghu.) - The ball broke the window (made a hole in it). If it shattered completely, `打碎` would be better.
• 弄坏 (nònghuài): A very general term for “to break” or “to ruin,” especially for machines, electronics, or things that stop functioning correctly. It implies making something go from “good” (好) to “bad” (坏).
  • Correct: 我把我的电脑弄坏了。(Wǒ bǎ wǒ de diànnǎo nònghuài le.) - I broke my computer.
  • Correct: 谁把玩具弄坏了？(Shéi bǎ wánjù nònghuài le?) - Who broke the toy?

Key Mistake: Using 打碎 for non-brittle items. Remember: if it doesn't shatter into pieces, you probably need 打破 or 弄坏.

• 打破 (dǎpò) - To break (a record, silence, a hole). Contrasted with shattering into pieces.
• 弄坏 (nònghuài) - To break, make something malfunction. A more general term, especially for electronics.
• 破坏 (pòhuài) - To destroy, damage, sabotage. More formal and often implies intentional, large-scale damage.
• 心碎 (xīnsuì) - Heartbroken, heart-shattered. A common metaphorical use of the character `碎`.
• 破碎 (pòsuì) - Broken, tattered. A more literary or formal adjective to describe something that is broken into pieces.
• 玻璃 (bōli) - Glass. An object that is very commonly shattered (`打碎`).
• 岁岁平安 (suì suì píng'ān) - The auspicious phrase (“Peace year after year”) used to ward off bad luck after something is `打碎`.
• 碎片 (suìpiàn) - A fragment, a shard, a piece of something that has been broken.
• 粉碎 (fěnsuì) - To smash into powder, to pulverize. An even more extreme version of `打碎`.