破 pò — to break; to split; broken; damaged; worn out
我的鞋子破了一个洞。Wǒ de xié zi pò le yí ge dòng.My shoe has a hole in it.
Common words: 破坏 (pò huài)、打破 (dǎ pò)、破产 (pò chǎn)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "broken"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "broken", including 破 (pò), 折 (zhé / shé). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "broken" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 破 (pò), 折 (zhé / shé) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span pò, zhé, shé — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 破 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 破 pòto break; to split; broken; damaged; worn outUseful words: 破坏, 打破
- 折 zhé / shébroken (as of rope; stick); tenth (in price); to break; to fold; to turnUseful words: 打折, 折扣
Common words for these 2 "broken" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 破 (pò) — so "broken" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "broken".
折 zhé / shé — broken (as of rope; stick); tenth (in price); to break; to fold; to turn
他把信纸对折了一下，放进信封。Tā bǎ xìn zhǐ duì zhé le yí xià, fàng jìn xìn fēng.He folded the letter paper and put it into the envelope.
Common words: 打折 (dǎ zhé)、折扣 (zhé kòu)、折磨 (zhé mó)
All 2 characters
Open 破、折 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.