每天成语
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分崩离析

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: fēn bēng lí xī
  • English Translation: To fall apart and disintegrate
  • Idiom Composition: 「分」（To divide or separate）＋「崩」（To collapse or crumble (like a mountain)）＋「离」（To leave or become detached）＋「析」（To split or break apart）
  • Meaning: A formal expression describing a nation, organization, or family that has completely collapsed and split into pieces due to internal conflict or chaos. It signifies a state of total disintegration where the group can no longer function as a whole.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「分崩离析」 contains the following nuances:

  • Organizational Collapse: This idiom does not refer to the physical destruction of objects, but rather the loss of cohesion within a 'human collective' (such as a nation, political party, or family), making the system impossible to maintain.
  • Degree of Severity: It carries a sense of gravity and despair, indicating that the group is not just having a minor spat but is facing an existential crisis or has already ceased to exist as a unified body.

3. Usage

「分崩离析」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • National or Political Crisis: Used to describe a state losing its functional capacity and splitting due to civil war, economic collapse, or political corruption.
    • Example:「长期的内战导致这个国家分崩离析，百姓流离失所。」
      （The long civil war caused the country to fall apart, leaving the people displaced.)
  • Organizational or Team Dissolution: Refers to a company or sports team losing its unity and heading toward dissolution due to internal power struggles or lack of leadership.
    • Example:「由于管理层内部斗争激烈，这家曾经辉煌的公司如今已分崩离析。」
      （Due to fierce infighting among management, this once-glorious company has now disintegrated.)
  • Family Breakdown: Describes family relationships that have been irreparably damaged, often due to inheritance disputes or deep-seated discord.
    • Example:「为了争夺遗产，这个大家族最终分崩离析，令人唏嘘。」
      （Because of the inheritance dispute, this large family eventually broke up, which is truly lamentable.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 如果不及时改革，这个联盟面临着分崩离析的危险。
    （Without timely reforms, this alliance faces the danger of falling apart.）
  2. 信任一旦失去，原本牢固的合作关系也会迅速分崩离析。
    （Once trust is lost, even a strong partnership will quickly crumble.）
  3. 那个庞大的帝国在短短几年内就分崩离析了。
    （That massive empire collapsed in just a few short years.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Source: From the Analects (论语), Ji Shi chapter. It originates from a warning by Confucius (孔子) regarding a state that was 'splitting and collapsing (分崩离析) and unable to protect itself.'
  • Historical Context: In Chinese history, this phrase is frequently used to describe the end of dynasties or eras of warlordism. It resonates with the famous opening of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三国演义): 'The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide.'
  • Nuance: This is a very formal and 'heavy' expression. It is not used for trivial arguments between friends, but for significant turning points in the survival of an organization.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

分崩离析 (fēn bēng lí xī) is a heavy, formal idiom used to describe the total breakdown of a collective entity. Originating from the Analects (论语), it goes beyond a simple disagreement, depicting a crisis where the internal structure of a group—be it a country or a corporation—is shattered beyond repair. It is frequently used in historical, political, and business contexts.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Level 1

Idiom Essay

fēn bēng lí xī
分崩离析
Fall Apart and Disintegrate
jiàn zào建造yī zuò一座fáng zi房子，kě néng可能xū yào需要hěn很jiǔ久；dàn但tā它dǎo tā倒塌，kě néng可能zhǐ只xū yào需要yī shùn jiān一瞬间。

Building a house may take a very long time, but it may take only a moment for it to collapse.

bù guǎn不管shì是guó jiā国家、gōng sī公司，hái shì还是yí gè一个dà jiā tíng大家庭，zuì最kāi shǐ开始de的shí hòu时候，dà jiā大家wǎng wǎng往往shì是wèi le为了tóng yī gè同一个mù biāo目标jù zài yì qǐ聚在一起de的。

Whether it is a country, a company, or a large family, at the beginning, people often come together for the same goal.

zhè zhǒng这种lì liàng力量jiào叫“níng jù lì凝聚力”。

This force is called “cohesion.”

dàn shì但是，dāng当zhè zhǒng这种lì liàng力量xiāo shī消失le了，yuán lái原来de的nà ge那个zhěng tǐ整体jiù就huì会suì liè碎裂kāi lái开来。

However, when this force disappears, the original whole begins to break apart.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个fēi cháng非常chén zhòng沉重de的chéng yǔ成语，yòng lái用来xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种chè dǐ彻底wǎ jiě瓦解de的zhuàng tài状态，jiào叫“fēn bēng lí xī分崩离析”。

In Chinese, there is a very weighty idiom used to describe this state of complete disintegration: “分崩离析.”

zhè ge这个cí词tīng qǐ lái听起来jiù就hěn很yǒu有pò huài lì破坏力。

The expression itself sounds highly destructive.

“fēn分”hé和“lí离”，yì si意思shì是fēn kāi分开、lí kāi离开；“bēng崩”，shì是xiàng像shān山yī yàng一样dǎo tā倒塌；“xī析”，shì是xiàng像mù tou木头yī yàng一样bèi被pī kāi劈开。

“分” and “离” mean to separate or leave; “崩” means to collapse like a mountain; and “析” means to be split apart like a piece of wood.

hé qǐ lái合起来，tā它de的huà miàn画面gǎn感fēi cháng非常qiáng强：yí gè一个yuán běn原本jiān gù坚固de的páng rán dà wù庞然大物，yīn wèi因为nèi bù内部chū出le了wèn tí问题，zuì zhōng最终sì fēn wǔ liè四分五裂、chè dǐ彻底sǎn jià散架le了。

Taken together, it creates a vivid image: a huge, originally solid structure develops internal problems and eventually breaks into pieces and completely falls apart.

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语chū zì出自《lún yǔ论语》。

This idiom comes from the Analects.

dāng shí当时，lǔ guó鲁国de的quán chén权臣jì shì季氏dǎ suàn打算gōng dǎ攻打fù yōng附庸xiǎo guó小国zhuān yú颛臾，kǒng zi孔子què却pī píng批评shuō说，guó jiā国家yǐ jīng已经“fēn bēng lí xī分崩离析”，rén xīn人心sàn散le了，lián连gēn běn根本dōu都shǒu守bú zhù不住，zěn me怎么hái还xiǎng想zhe着dòng yòng动用wǔ lì武力？

At that time, Ji Shi, a powerful minister of the State of Lu, planned to attack Zhuanyu, a small dependent state. Confucius criticized him, saying that the country was already “falling apart,” the people’s hearts were divided, and even its foundations could not be protected—so how could he still be thinking about using force?

zài在kǒng zi孔子kàn lái看来，zhēn zhèng真正zhì mìng致命de的wēi jī危机，wǎng wǎng往往bú shì不是wài miàn外面de的duì shǒu对手，ér shì而是nèi bù内部de的fēn liè分裂。

In Confucius’s view, the truly fatal crisis is often not an outside enemy but internal division.

dào到le了xiàn dài现代，wǒ men我们gèng更duō多yòng用tā它lái来xíng róng形容yí gè一个tuán tǐ团体huò或zǔ zhī组织de的jié jú结局。

In modern times, we more often use it to describe the fate of a group or organization.

xiǎng xiàng想象yī xià一下，yí gè一个céng jīng曾经fēi cháng非常chéng gōng成功de的yuè tuán乐团，huò zhě或者yī jiā一家hěn很yǒu míng有名de的dà大gōng sī公司。

Imagine a once highly successful band or a famous large company.

qǐ chū起初，dà jiā大家hù xiāng互相xìn rèn信任。

At first, everyone trusted one another.

dàn但hòu lái后来，yě xǔ也许shì是yīn wèi因为lì yì利益fēn pèi分配bù jūn不均，yě xǔ也许shì是yīn wèi因为shī qù失去le了gòng tóng共同de的xìn niàn信念。

But later, perhaps because profits were distributed unfairly, or because they lost their shared beliefs,

chéng yuán成员zhī jiān之间kāi shǐ开始zhēng chǎo争吵、cāi yí猜疑，zuì hòu最后gè bēn dōng xī各奔东西，zhěng gè整个zǔ zhī组织chè dǐ彻底kuǎ tái垮台。

the members began to argue and suspect one another. In the end, they went their separate ways, and the entire organization collapsed.

zhè zhǒng这种cóng从nèi bù内部kāi shǐ开始de的wǎ jiě瓦解，jiù shì就是diǎn xíng典型de的“fēn bēng lí xī分崩离析”。

This kind of disintegration that begins from within is a typical example of “分崩离析.”

zhí de值得zhù yì注意de的shì是，wǒ men我们hěn shǎo很少yòng用zhè ge这个cí词lái来xíng róng形容pǔ tōng普通de的“fēn shǒu分手”huò zhě或者xiǎo xiǎo小小de的“chǎo jià吵架”。

It is worth noting that we rarely use this expression to describe an ordinary breakup or a minor argument.

yīn wèi因为tā它miáo shù描述de的shì是yī zhǒng一种jié gòu xìng结构性de的huǐ miè毁灭。

That is because it describes a structural destruction.

tā它àn shì暗示zhe着，nà ge那个yuán běn原本zhī chēng支撑zhe着dà jiā大家zài在yì qǐ一起de的“hé xīn核心”yǐ jīng已经duàn断le了。

It suggests that the “core” that originally held everyone together has already broken.

suǒ yǐ所以，“fēn bēng lí xī分崩离析”bù jǐn jǐn不仅仅shì是zài在shuō说“sàn huǒ散伙”。

Therefore, “分崩离析” is not merely about “breaking up.”

tā它shì是zài在tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们：rèn hé任何kàn shì看似qiáng dà强大de的zhěng tǐ整体，qí shí其实dōu都shì是yóu由wú shù gè无数个gè tǐ个体lián jiē连接ér而chéng成de的。

It reminds us that any seemingly powerful whole is actually made up of countless individuals connected to one another.

rú guǒ如果lián jiē连接bǐ cǐ彼此de的xìn rèn信任duàn断le了，nà me那么wú lùn无论wài biǎo外表kàn qǐ lái看起来duō me多么jiān gù坚固，zuì zhōng最终de的jié jú结局，kě néng可能dōu都wú fǎ无法bì miǎn避免。

If the trust connecting them breaks, then no matter how solid they look on the outside, the final outcome may be unavoidable.

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