塌

• Pinyin: tā
• Hanzi breakdown: 塌 = 土 (earth) + 沓 (phonetic)

Meaning

To collapse; to cave in. Describes structures falling down or sinking.

Used for physical collapse of buildings, ground, or structures. Can also describe psychological collapse (心理上塌了) in colloquial speech. Often appears in news about disasters or accidents.

Examples

1. 连日暴雨导致山体滑坡，好几栋房子都塌了。 Days of heavy rain caused a landslide, and several houses collapsed.
2. 这座老桥年久失修，随时都有塌掉的危险。 This old bridge has been neglected for years and could collapse at any moment.
3. 听到那个消息，她感觉整个世界都塌了。 When she heard that news, she felt like her whole world had collapsed.

Usage Guide

Context: news, disasters, everyday

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 房顶塌了，幸好没人受伤。(The roof collapsed, but fortunately no one was hurt.)
• 地基塌陷了。(The foundation caved in.)

Don't Say

• 把东西倒下说成'塌' (塌 is for structural collapse — for things falling over, use 倒)

Origin & History

The character depicts earth (土) and a phonetic component (沓), relating to earth sinking or collapsing.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal