毁坏

• Pinyin: huǐ huài
• Hanzi breakdown: 毁 = 臼 + 工 + 土 (mortar + work + earth, to demolish); 坏 = 土 + 不 (earth + not, broken/bad)

Meaning

To damage or destroy something; to cause physical harm or deterioration to an object, structure, or natural environment.

Refers to physical damage that may or may not be repairable — less total than 毁灭 (complete annihilation). Common in legal, environmental, and disaster contexts. Often used in official reports about property damage or ecological harm.

Examples

1. 这场洪水毁坏了大量农田，当地政府不得不紧急调拨资金帮助受灾农民恢复生产。 The flood destroyed large areas of farmland, and the local government had to urgently allocate funds to help affected farmers resume production.
2. 故意毁坏公共财物属于违法行为，情节严重者将依法承担相应的刑事责任。 Deliberately damaging public property is illegal, and serious cases will be held criminally liable under the law.
3. 长期暴露在潮湿环境中，这批珍贵的历史文献已遭到严重毁坏，修复工作极为困难。 After long exposure to a damp environment, this collection of precious historical documents has been severely damaged, making restoration extremely difficult.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, disaster, environment, property

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 台风过境后，沿海地区大量房屋和基础设施遭到严重毁坏，灾后重建工作将持续数年之久。(After the typhoon passed, a large number of houses and infrastructure along the coast were seriously damaged, and post-disaster reconstruction work will continue for several years.)
• 任何人不得故意毁坏他人财物，违者将承担民事赔偿责任，情节恶劣者还可能面临刑事追诉。(No one may intentionally damage another person's property; violators will bear civil liability for compensation, and those with serious circumstances may also face criminal prosecution.)

Don't Say

• 毁坏 for emotional or reputational damage — use 损害 or 破坏名誉; 毁坏 is primarily used for physical damage to tangible objects

Origin & History

毁 (destroy/demolish) + 坏 (broken/damaged) — to demolish and render broken

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal