The Chinese word 破例 (pòlì) is a verb-object compound where the first character, 破 (pò), literally means "to break," and the second character, 例 (lì), means "rule," "precedent," or "established case." The formation is metaphorical, combining these elements to create the meaning "to break a rule" or "to make an exception." It functions as a fixed idiomatic expression where the action (破) is directly applied to the object (例), conveying the concept of deliberately deviating from a standard procedure or convention for a specific instance.