Definition
决堤 is a separable verb (离合词) meaning 'to breach a dike or dam' — the water breaks through an embankment, often due to flooding or structural failure. It's a serious, dramatic term used in news and disaster reporting. As a 离合词, you can split 决 and 堤 to insert a measure word or modifier, like 决了一次堤 ('breached once'). The word is not used for small leaks; it implies a major collapse.
v.o.
to breach a dike or dam (of floodwaters, causing a collapse)
Examples
- ，决堤。Bàoyǔ dǎozhì héshuǐ shàngzhǎng, zuìzhōng jué dī le.The heavy rain caused the river to rise, and finally the dike broke.
- ，。Nà cì hóngshuǐ jué le sān cì dī, sǔnshī cǎnzhòng.That flood breached the dike three times, causing heavy losses.
- ，决堤。Zhèngfǔ liányè jiāgù dàbà, fángzhǐ jué dī.The government reinforced the dam overnight to prevent a breach.
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