剖析 (pōuxī) — to dissect, to analyze thoroughly

剖析 (pōuxī)

剖析 means to dissect and analyze thoroughly, going beneath the surface to reveal inner structure, causes, or mechanisms. Like a surgeon dissecting a body, 剖析 implies breaking something apart to understand how it works from the inside. It is used for analyzing complex phenomena, social problems, psychological states, or literary works.

Meanings

1. [v] to dissect; to analyze thoroughly; to lay bare the inner workings of
2. [v] to examine deeply; to probe the causes and mechanisms of

Example Sentences

社会学家对当代青年"躺平"现象进行了深刻的剖析。 Shèhuìxuéjiā duì dāngdài qīngnián "tǎngpíng" xiànxiàng jìnxíngle shēnkè de pōuxī. Sociologists conducted a thorough dissection of the contemporary youth "lying flat" phenomenon.

这篇文章剖析了企业腐败行为的深层制度根源。 Zhè piān wénzhāng pōuxīle qǐyè fǔbài xíngwéi de shēncéng zhìdù gēnyuán. This article dissected the deep institutional roots of corporate corruption.

心理咨询师帮助他剖析了内心深处的焦虑与恐惧来源。 Xīnlǐ zīxúnshī bāngzhù tā pōuxīle nèixīn shēnchù de jiāolǜ yǔ kǒngjù láiyuán. The therapist helped him dissect the sources of anxiety and fear deep within his psyche.

这部传记以罕见的坦率剖析了一位政治家的权力欲望与道德妥协。 Zhè bù zhuànjì yǐ hǎnjiàn de tǎnshuài pōuxīle yī wèi zhèngzhìjiā de quánlì yùwàng yǔ dàodé tuǒxié. This biography dissected a politician's hunger for power and moral compromises with rare candor.

作者在第四章中剖析了文化大革命时期知识分子的精神困境。 Zuòzhě zài dì sì zhāng zhōng pōuxīle Wénhuà Dàgémìng shíqī zhīshifènzǐ de jīngshén kùnjìng. The author dissects the spiritual predicament of intellectuals during the Cultural Revolution in chapter four.

经济学家通过剖析历次金融危机的共同特征，建立了预警模型。 Jīngjìxuéjiā tōngguò pōuxī lìcì jīnróng wēijī de gòngtóng tèzhēng, jiànlìle yùjǐng móxíng. Economists built early-warning models by dissecting the common characteristics of successive financial crises.

Collocations

Usage Notes

剖析 is more graphic and thorough than 分析 (fēnxī). While 分析 is a general term for analysis, 剖析 implies cutting open to reveal what is hidden inside — the analysis goes deeper, exposing root causes, mechanisms, or inner contradictions. It is often used when the analysis reveals something unpleasant or previously concealed.

The word is commonly used with deep social problems (social phenomena, corruption, psychological issues) rather than for routine data analysis. It frequently appears in journalism, literary criticism, and social commentary. The pattern 对…进行剖析 (to conduct a thorough analysis of…) is standard in formal writing.

Memory Hook

剖 (to cut open, to dissect — the 刀 knife radical is prominent) + 析 (to analyze, to separate): "cutting something open and separating its parts to understand it" — surgical analysis.