崩

bēng

山 + 朋

Definitions

bēng (verb) to collapse; to crumble

bēng (noun) death (of emperor; monarch)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 山 represents the meaning and 朋 represents the sound.

Semantic: 山 Phonetic: 朋

About

崩 is a phono-semantic compound. The top semantic radical 山 (shān, mountain) places it within the category of topography and immense physical mass, while the lower component 朋 (péng) provides the phonetic element. Its original meaning describes a catastrophic geological event: the violent collapse or landslide of a mountain. From this image of monumental structural failure, the character was historically adopted as a formal, euphemistic term for the death of an emperor, equating a sovereign's demise with the world-altering collapse of a peak.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

山崩阻塞了道路。

Shān bēng zǔsèle dàolù.

The landslide blocked the road.

那座旧桥突然崩塌了。

Nà zuò jiù qiáo tūrán bēngtāle.

That old bridge suddenly collapsed.

长时间工作后他精神崩溃了。

Cháng shíjiān gōngzuò hòu tā jīngshén bēngkuìle.

He had a mental breakdown after working long hours.

网络上的谣言很快就崩了。

Wǎngluò shàng de yáoyán hěn kuài jiù bēng le.

The rumor on the internet was quickly debunked/collapsed.

经济危机导致市场信心崩溃。

Jīngjì wēijī dǎozhì shìchǎng xìnxīn bēngkuì.

The economic crisis led to a collapse in market confidence.

谈判失败后双方关系彻底崩盘。

Tánpàn shībài hòu shuāngfāng guānxì chèdǐ bēng pán.

After the negotiation failed, the relationship between the two sides completely broke down.

他的演技在关键场景中全面崩坏。

Tā de yǎnjì zài guānjiàn chǎngjǐng zhōng quánmiàn bēnghuài.

His acting completely fell apart in the crucial scene.

这一连串的打击让他的世界观逐渐崩解。

Zhè yī liánchuàn de dǎjī ràng tā de shìjièguān zhújiàn bēngjiě.

This series of blows gradually caused his worldview to crumble.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 山

Component: 朋

崩