坏
huài
A dead laptop, sour milk, a bad habit — all 坏
The picture Something that used to turn has cracked, its teeth out of line, no longer doing its job. 坏 is cracked and out of line; 好 is meshing with nothing catching.
Where the picture shows up in 坏
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a machine goes out of line
电脑坏了，开不了机。
diàn nǎo huài le, kāi bu liǎo jī.
The computer is broken — it won't turn on.
The power button pressed again and again while the screen stays black
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food goes out of line
这盒牛奶坏了，别喝。
zhè hé niú nǎi huài le, bié hē.
This milk has gone off — don't drink it.
A carton tipped over, pouring out thick and lumpy
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what's inside a person
他不是坏人，只是说话太直。
tā bú shì huài rén, zhǐ shì shuō huà tài zhí.
He's not a bad guy, he just talks too bluntly.
Blunt words coming out of the mouth while the hands carry your bag
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a habit worn into the body
抽烟是坏习惯，早点戒吧。
chōu yān shì huài xí guàn, zǎo diǎn jiè ba.
Smoking is a bad habit — quit sooner rather than later.
A pack that lives in the pocket, the hand finding it without looking
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broken in your own hands
搬家的时候弄坏了一个杯子。
bān jiā de shí hou nòng huài le yí ge bēi zi.
I broke a cup while moving house.
A box set down, a sharp clink inside, pieces sliding out
All of it in one picture
坏 is one crack running through what used to mesh. Crack a machine and it's broken; crack milk and it's gone off; crack what's inside a person and they're a bad sort; crack a habit into the body and it's a bad habit; crack something in your own hands and you've broken it.