废墟
fèi xū · HSK 7
ruins
🏚️ fei = waste + xu = void — a wasted void is all that remains
废 means waste or discard, 墟 means a mound or market site gone empty. Together they describe a place that was once something but is now just discarded emptiness — ruins.
废 — radical 广 (shelter) + phonetic 发 (fā)
Originally written 廢, this character depicts a building (广, a shelter or house) that has fallen into disuse, with 發 serving as the phonetic component. The core meaning is 'to abandon' or 'discard,' extending to 'ruined,' 'useless,' or 'waste.' The simplified form 废 replaces 發 with 发.