How do you say "break" in Chinese?

休息

xiū xī

Verb Hanzi

In Chinese, "break" is 休息 (xiū xī).

Listen to the pronunciation:

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Pronunciation

Say xiū xī with "xiū" held flat and high (first tone), then "xī" held flat and high (first tone).

Writing and usage

休息 is written using hanzi. It's a verb, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.

Example sentence

玻璃很容易破碎。

bō lí hěn róng yì pò suì 。

Glass can break easily.

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How to remember 休息

Notice how "shyo shee" echoes inside "xiū xī"; tie that echo to break and you won't forget it.

Related words

Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.

Questions about 休息

How do you pronounce 休息?

Say xiū xī with "xiū" held flat and high (first tone), then "xī" held flat and high (first tone).

Is 休息 formal or casual?

休息 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is 休息 used in Chinese?

休息 is used the same way as the equivalent English verb. For example: 玻璃很容易破碎。 (Glass can break easily.).

Where can I practice Chinese words for free?

You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Break" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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