脆弱
cuìruò · HSK 7
fragile
🥚 QUAY-raw — a raw egg on a quay, one bump from shattering
脆 (cuì) means crisp or brittle, 弱 (ruò) means weak. Together: brittle + weak = fragile. The sound 'cuì-ruò' echoes 'quay-raw' — something raw and exposed on a stone dock, ready to crack at the slightest knock.
脆 — meat radical 月 + 危 wēi (phonetic)
A semantic-phonetic compound: the meat radical 月 (flesh) suggests something physical or edible, while 危 hints at the sound. Originally written 脃, it described meat that was tender and easily broken, later extending to anything brittle, crisp, or fragile.
弱 — two 弓 (bows) + two 彡 (feathers/strokes)
Originally depicted two bent bows with drooping feathers or fine hairs, suggesting something pliant and weak. The doubled 弓 emphasizes flexibility, while 彡 evokes delicate, thin strands. The image of a soft, bending bow extended to mean 'weak,' 'frail,' or 'young.'