毀 meaning and stroke order
To damage, to ruin; to defame, to slander
How to write 毀, stroke by stroke
13 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
Meaning of 毀
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to destroy; to ruin
- to defame; to slander
How 毀 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A man using a tool 殳 to strike a clay 土 vessel 臼.
Radical: 殳 (tool), shared by 16 characters on this site.
How to remember 毀
Picture a clay 土 (tǔ) pot shaped like a mortar 臼 (jiù), and a hand swinging a tool 殳 (shū) on the right to smash it. Striking the vessel until it breaks gives you 毁 (huǐ), to ruin or destroy.
毁 (huǐ) is rarely used alone in modern speech. It usually appears in compounds like 毁坏 (huǐhuài), 摧毁 (cuīhuǐ), and 销毁 (xiāohuǐ). Example: 大火毁掉了整个村子。(Dà huǒ huǐdiào le zhěnggè cūnzi.) The fire destroyed the whole village.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 毁 (huǐ, to destroy) with 悔 (huǐ, to regret), since they share the same sound and tone. 后悔 (hòuhuǐ) means to regret, so writing 后毁 is wrong. Also note that the right side is 殳, not 又 or 攵.
Common words with 毀
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 摧毀 | cuīhuǐ | to destroy; to wreck | HSK 7-9 |
| 毀滅 | huǐmiè | to perish; to ruin | HSK 7-9 |
| 銷毀 | xiāohuǐ | to destroy (by melting or burning); to obliterate | HSK 7-9 |
| 毀壞 | huǐhuài | to damage; to devastate | HSK 7-9 |
| 毀掉 | huǐdiào | to destroy | |
| 墜毀 | zhuìhuǐ | (of an airplane etc) to fall to the ground and crash | |
| 毀滅性 | huǐmièxìng | destructive; devastating | |
| 自毀 | zìhuǐ | to destroy one's (reputation etc); (of a device etc) to self-destruct | |
| 損毀 | sǔnhuǐ | to damage; to wreck; to destroy | |
| 詆毀 | dǐhuǐ | to vilify; to slander | |
| 搗毀 | dǎohuǐ | to destroy; to smash | |
| 撞毀 | zhuànghuǐ | to smash | |
| 擊毀 | jīhuǐ | to attack and destroy | |
| 撕毀 | sīhuǐ | to tear up; to rip up |
Questions about 毀
How many strokes are in 毀?
毀 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 毀 mean?
毀 (huǐ) means to damage, to ruin; to defame, to slander. A common word with it is 摧毁 (cuīhuǐ), meaning "to destroy; to wreck".
How do you pronounce 毀?
毀 is pronounced huǐ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 毀?
The radical of 毀 is 殳, which carries the idea of "tool". Dictionaries list 毀 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 毀?
毀 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 毁, used in mainland China and Singapore.
How do I use 毁 to mean slander or damage someone's reputation?
Use compounds like 诋毁 (dǐhuǐ, to slander) or 毁谤 (huǐbàng, to defame). You can also say 毁了他的名声 (huǐ le tā de míngshēng), ruined his reputation.
What is the difference between 毁坏 and 破坏?
毁坏 (huǐhuài) stresses that something is physically damaged or wrecked. 破坏 (pòhuài) is broader and also covers abstract things, like disrupting plans, rules, or relationships.