nònghuài: 弄坏 - To Break, Damage, Ruin

• Keywords: nonghuai, nòng huài, 弄坏, how to say break in Chinese, what does nong huai mean, Chinese word for damage, Chinese for mess up, Chinese verb for ruin, 弄 (nòng) meaning, 坏 (huài) meaning, Chinese grammar, resultative complement.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese verb 弄坏 (nòng huài), meaning “to break,” “to damage,” or “to ruin.” This page provides a deep dive into its meaning, character breakdown, and practical use in modern China. Discover how 弄坏 (nòng huài) is used for everything from a broken phone to a messed-up plan, and understand its nuances compared to other words like 打破 (dǎ pò). With over 10 example sentences and analysis, you'll master this common HSK 3 term.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): nòng huài
• Part of Speech: Verb (Resultative Compound)
• HSK Level: HSK 3
• Concise Definition: To cause something to become broken or damaged through handling or action.
• In a Nutshell: 弄坏 (nòng huài) is one of the most common ways to say you broke something in Chinese. It's a combination of 弄 (nòng), “to do/handle/mess with,” and 坏 (huài), “bad/broken.” Think of it as “to mess with something until it's broken.” It's incredibly versatile and can be used for physical objects, abstract plans, or even relationships.

• 弄 (nòng): This character means “to do,” “to make,” or “to handle.” It often implies a hands-on, sometimes careless, action. Imagine someone fiddling with a gadget—that's the feeling of 弄.
• 坏 (huài): This character means “bad,” “broken,” or “spoiled.” It represents the negative outcome or state.

When combined, 弄坏 (nòng huài) literally means “to handle to the point of being broken.” It's a perfect example of a Chinese resultative verb, where the first character is the action (弄) and the second is the result (坏).

While 弄坏 (nòng huài) doesn't carry deep philosophical weight, its usage reveals something about expressing responsibility in Chinese culture. Using 弄坏 subtly implies agency and action. Saying “我把手机弄坏了” (Wǒ bǎ shǒujī nòng huài le) - “I broke the phone” - takes direct responsibility for the action that led to the damage. This can be contrasted with the English passive-sounding phrase, “My phone broke.” The Chinese equivalent, “我的手机坏了” (Wǒ de shǒujī huài le), simply states the fact that the phone is in a broken state, removing the actor. Choosing between “弄坏了” (someone broke it) and “坏了” (it is broken) is a subtle way to assign or deflect responsibility. 弄坏 is direct and focuses on the “how,” while 坏了 is indirect and focuses on the “what.” This choice can be important in situations where saving face (面子 - miànzi) is a consideration. Admitting you 弄坏 something is a direct admission of fault.

弄坏 (nòng huài) is an extremely common, everyday word used in informal and semi-formal contexts.

• Daily Conversations: It's the go-to term for breaking household items, electronics, toys, etc. It's what a parent might say to a child, or what you'd tell a friend about your broken laptop.
• Abstract Situations: Beyond physical objects, it can mean “to mess up” or “ruin” a situation, a plan, or even a relationship. For example, you can 弄坏 a good mood (把气氛弄坏了 - bǎ qìfēn nòng huài le).
• Connotation: The connotation is generally neutral to slightly negative. The use of 弄 (nòng) can sometimes carry a hint of carelessness or fiddling, making it sound a bit less formal or accidental than the more serious, written term 损坏 (sǔnhuài).

• Example 1:
• 小心点，别把我的相机弄坏了！
• Pinyin: Xiǎoxīn diǎn, bié bǎ wǒ de xiàngjī nòng huài le!
• English: Be careful, don't break my camera!
• Analysis: A classic warning. The structure `别把 + [Object] + 弄坏了` (bié bǎ… nòng huài le) is a very common way to tell someone not to break something.
• Example 2:
• 对不起，我不小心把你的杯子弄坏了。
• Pinyin: Duìbuqǐ, wǒ bù xiǎoxīn bǎ nǐ de bēizi nòng huài le.
• English: I'm sorry, I accidentally broke your cup.
• Analysis: This is a great example of taking responsibility. The phrase `不小心` (bù xiǎoxīn), “accidentally,” softens the blame.
• Example 3:
• 我的电脑好像被我弄坏了，开不了机。
• Pinyin: Wǒ de diànnǎo hǎoxiàng bèi wǒ nòng huài le, kāi bu liǎo jī.
• English: It seems like my computer was broken by me, it won't turn on.
• Analysis: Here, the passive structure `被` (bèi) is used to emphasize that the computer was the recipient of the breaking action. `开不了机` (kāi bu liǎo jī) is a common phrase for a device that won't boot up.
• Example 4:
• 是谁把玩具弄坏的？
• Pinyin: Shì shéi bǎ wánjù nòng huài de?
• English: Who broke the toy?
• Analysis: The `是…的` (shì…de) structure is used here to seek specific information about the past event—in this case, who was the one that did the breaking.
• Example 5:
• 他总是把事情弄坏，我们不能再相信他了。
• Pinyin: Tā zǒngshì bǎ shìqing nòng huài, wǒmen bùnéng zài xiāngxìn tā le.
• English: He always messes things up, we can't trust him anymore.
• Analysis: An excellent example of 弄坏 used abstractly. Here, it means “to ruin” or “mess up” a situation (事情 - shìqing).
• Example 6:
• 如果你一直这样玩手机，迟早会把它弄坏。
• Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ yīzhí zhèyàng wán shǒujī, chízǎo huì bǎ tā nòng huài.
• English: If you keep playing with your phone like this, you'll break it sooner or later.
• Analysis: `迟早` (chízǎo) means “sooner or later.” This sentence shows how 弄坏 can be used to talk about a future possibility.
• Example 7:
• 这台洗衣机是不是被你弄坏了？
• Pinyin: Zhè tái xǐyījī shì bu shì bèi nǐ nòng huài le?
• English: Did you break this washing machine?
• Analysis: A direct question of accusation. The `是不是` (shì bu shì) structure turns the statement into a yes/no question.
• Example 8:
• 我弟弟很淘气，已经弄坏三个遥控器了。
• Pinyin: Wǒ dìdi hěn táoqì, yǐjīng nòng huài sān ge yáokòngqì le.
• English: My little brother is very naughty, he has already broken three remote controls.
• Analysis: Shows a repeated action. `淘气` (táoqì) is a perfect adjective for a kid who is likely to 弄坏 things.
• Example 9:
• 他的一句玩笑话把整个气氛都弄坏了。
• Pinyin: Tā de yí jù wánxiàohuà bǎ zhěnggè qìfēn dōu nòng huài le.
• English: A single joke from him ruined the entire atmosphere.
• Analysis: Another abstract usage. Here, a good atmosphere/vibe (`气氛` - qìfēn) is the “thing” that was “broken” or ruined.
• Example 10:
• 这个拉链有点问题，我怕再拉会把它弄坏。
• Pinyin: Zhège lāliàn yǒudiǎn wèntí, wǒ pà zài lā huì bǎ tā nòng huài.
• English: This zipper has a bit of a problem, I'm afraid if I pull it again I'll break it.
• Analysis: This shows fear or apprehension about potentially breaking something. `怕` (pà) means “to fear” or “to be afraid of.”

• 弄坏 (nòng huài) vs. 坏了 (huài le): This is the most common point of confusion.
  • 弄坏 (nòng huài) is a verb phrase describing the action of breaking something. It requires an actor. → “I broke the glass.” (我弄坏了杯子。)
  • 坏了 (huài le) is an adjective phrase describing the state of being broken. It describes the object itself. → “The glass is broken.” (杯子坏了。)
  • Mistake: Saying “我的手机弄坏了” is slightly unnatural. It's better to say “我把手机弄坏了” (I broke my phone) or “我的手机坏了” (My phone is broken).
• 弄坏 (nòng huài) vs. 打破 (dǎ pò): These are not always interchangeable.
  • 弄坏 (nòng huài) is general purpose. It works for electronics, toys, zippers, plans, and relationships.
  • 打破 (dǎ pò) is more specific. It means “to break by hitting” and usually implies shattering. It's used for glass, windows, plates, bowls, and also for breaking records (打破记录 - dǎpò jìlù) or silence (打破沉默 - dǎpò chénmò). You 打破 a cup, but you 弄坏 a computer.

• 坏了 (huài le) - Is broken. The resulting state after something has been 弄坏.
• 打破 (dǎ pò) - To shatter; to break (by hitting). A more specific way of breaking something fragile.
• 损坏 (sǔnhuài) - To damage. A more formal and often written synonym for 弄坏, used in reports or official notices.
• 搞砸 (gǎo zá) - To screw up, to botch. A colloquial synonym for the abstract sense of 弄坏, used for plans and situations.
• 修 (xiū) - To repair, to fix. The direct antonym of 弄坏.
• 修理 (xiūlǐ) - To repair, to fix (often implies more professional repair).
• 糟糕 (zāogāo) - Terrible, what a mess! An exclamation you might use when you discover something has been 弄坏.
• 弄 (nòng) - The versatile action verb “to do, make, handle.” Understanding this character is key to many resultative verbs.