碎

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(transitive or intransitive) to break into pieces; to shatter; to crumble; broken; fragmentary; scattered; garrulous

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Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

石 meaning “rock” + 卒 sound ( zú )

Components 石卒

shattered · Heisig RSH #2471

石 stone + foot soldiers

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
宁为玉碎，不为瓦全	nìng wéi yù suì , bù wéi wǎ quán	Better broken jade than intact tile.; Death is preferable to dishonor. (idiom)
粉身碎骨	fěn shēn suì gǔ	(lit.) torn body and crushed bones (idiom); (fig.) to die horribly; to sacrifice one's lif…
碎布条	suì bù tiáo	shred
粉碎机	fěn suì jī	pulverizer; grinder
碎纸机	suì zhǐ jī	paper shredder
香消玉碎	xiāng xiāo yù suì	see 香消玉殞\|香消玉殒[xiang1 xiao1 yu4 yun3]
心碎	xīn suì	heartbroken; extreme depth of sorrow
闲言碎语	xián yán suì yǔ	idle gossip; irrelevant nonsense; slanderous rumor
碎片整理	suì piàn zhěng lǐ	defragmentation (computing)
打碎	dǎ suì	to shatter; to smash; to break into pieces
碎石	suì shí	gravel; crushed rock; rock debris
裂变碎片	liè biàn suì piàn	fission fragment
支离破碎	zhī lí pò suì	scattered and smashed (idiom)
细胞破碎	xì bāo pò suì	(biotechnology) cell disruption
碎形	suì xíng	fractal (math.)
嘴碎	zuǐ suì	loquacious; garrulous; wordy
鸡零狗碎	jī líng gǒu suì	in pieces
碎肉	suì ròu	ground meat; mincemeat
碎片	suì piàn	chip; fragment; splinter; tatter
碎心裂胆	suì xīn liè dǎn	in mortal fear (idiom)

Characters sharing the sound component 卒 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
卒 sound part	zú	soldier; servant; at last, finally
醉	zuì	intoxicated, drunk; addicted
翠	cuì	kingfisher; jade, emerald
粹	cuì	pure, unadulterated; essence
猝	cù	sudden, abrupt
萃	cuì	grassy; thick, dense, close; to gather, to assemble
瘁	cuì	tired, worn-out; sick; overworked
悴	cuì	to suffer; haggard, emaciated
淬	cuì	to soak, to dye; to temper, to change
晬	zuì	a child's first birthday
崒	zú	rocky peaks; lofty; dangerous
窣	sū	to emerge from a hole; rustling, whispering
綷	cuì	five-color silk
啐	cuì	to taste, to sip; to spit; the sound of sipping
谇	suì	to slander, to defame; to berate