破旧

• Pinyin: pò jiù
• Hanzi breakdown: 破 = 石 + 皮 (stone + skin — to break/damage); 旧 = 臼 (mortar/hollow — worn through time)

Meaning

Worn out and dilapidated; old and shabby. Describes objects or structures that are both old and in poor condition through long use or neglect.

Combines physical deterioration with the passage of time. Common collocations: 破旧的房屋 (run-down houses), 破旧的家具 (worn furniture), 破旧的衣物 (shabby clothes). Can carry nostalgic or sympathetic undertones in literary contexts.

Examples

1. 古镇边缘一带散落着几处破旧的老宅，斑驳的砖墙和残缺的屋脊无声地诉说着岁月的流逝。 On the outskirts of the old town, a few dilapidated houses lay scattered about; their mottled brick walls and broken roof ridges silently told of time’s passing.
2. 他从装满衣物的纸箱里翻出一件破旧的毛衣，那是祖母亲手织就、陪伴他度过整个童年的宝贵记忆。 He rummaged through a cardboard box packed with clothes and found a worn-out sweater—hand-knit by his grandmother and a precious memory from his entire childhood.
3. 城市更新计划将这片破旧的棚户区纳入首批改造范围，数千户居民将迁入宽敞明亮的现代化安置房。 The urban renewal plan has included this run-down shantytown in the first round of redevelopment, and thousands of households will move into spacious, bright, modern resettlement housing.

Usage Guide

Context: description, housing, urban planning, narrative

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这批破旧的工业厂房经过创意改造后，已焕然一新地成为集艺术展览、创意办公与休闲餐饮于一体的城市文化地标。(After creative renovation, this batch of dilapidated industrial buildings has been transformed into an urban cultural landmark integrating art exhibitions, creative offices, and leisure dining.)
• 报告指出，农村地区仍有相当比例的学校使用破旧的教学设施，教育硬件的严重老化已成为制约当地教育质量提升的关键瓶颈。(The report notes that a considerable proportion of schools in rural areas are still using dilapidated teaching facilities, and the severe deterioration of educational hardware has become a key bottleneck constraining the improvement of local education quality.)

Don't Say

• 破旧 emphasises both damage and age together — 老旧 (aged/outdated) focuses on age without implying damage; 破烂 is stronger and more pejorative (tattered/wrecked); do not use 破旧 for something merely unfashionable

Origin & History

破 (broken, damaged — 石 stone + 皮 skin → to break) + 旧 (old, past — 臼 mortar/hollow → worn with time)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal