砸 (zá) - to smash & to pound
砸 · zá
to smash;
to pound;
to break;
to fail (in business, exams, etc.
);
to botch
to smashto poundto break
Usage highlights
smash to piecessmash the招牌fail an examsmash the锅smash and grabpound flat
Usage & contexts
Examples
- He smashed the window with a stone (用石头砸窗户).
- The company went bankrupt (公司砸了).
- I botched the exam (考砸了).
- They are pounding the ground (砸地面).
Collocations
- smash to pieces(砸碎)
- smash the招牌(砸招牌)
- fail an exam(考砸)
- smash the锅(砸锅)
- smash and grab(砸抢)
- pound flat(砸扁)
Idioms
- Smash the pot and sink the boat(砸锅卖铁)
- A single hammer can't smash it(一锤子砸不烂)
- Smash one's own招牌(砸自己的招牌)
Cultural background
FAQ- Often used metaphorically for failure or ruining something, especially in business or exams.
- The character combines 'stone' (石) radical with 'mound' (匝), suggesting forceful impact.
- In northern Chinese dialects, '砸了' commonly means 'failed' or 'messed up'.