Definitions

bēng (verb) to collapse; to crumble
bēng (noun) death (of emperor; monarch)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "崩" is etymologically formed by the semantic radical 山, representing mountain, and the phonetic component 朋, which historically guided its pronunciation, constituting a semantic-phonetic compound whose primary meaning was the physical collapse of a mountain or a landslide. From this concrete origin, its application extended metaphorically to describe the collapse of various entities, including buildings and social structures, while also acquiring a specialized ritual sense in imperial contexts to refer to the death of a sovereign. Its structural composition has persisted unchanged, with the mountain radical consistently anchoring notions of disintegration and the phonetic element reflecting shifts in spoken language over centuries. The semantic trajectory of "崩" illustrates a gradual expansion from literal geological events to abstract connotations, encompassing modern informal usage where it denotes psychological or systemic breakdowns.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

阻塞了道路。

Shān bēng zǔsèle dàolù.

The landslide blocked the road.

那座旧桥突然塌了。

Nà zuò jiù qiáo tūrán bēngtāle.

That old bridge suddenly collapsed.

长时间工作后他精神溃了。

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解。

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

This series of blows gradually caused his worldview to crumble.