The word 破坏 is a verb to mean to destroy things such as the architecture like 破坏机器and破坏文物. Another level of meaning of 破坏is to make something destroyed such as 破坏名誉. In some cases, it means to obey and violate such as 破坏纪律and破坏协定. When you attend to HSK preparation program in China, you might be taught that we usually mean it is a kind of conscious act when we use 破坏and the objects can be the specific things like facilities and architecture and the abstract things such as friendship and fame and unity.

After learning the word 破坏, it is important for the learners to distinguish it with the word 损害, which is to emphasize the career, interests and health or reputation are lost and harmed. It is usually the unconscious action and the objects are the abstract things like interests, health and career. You can say 损害健康and损害了他的权威. The word 损坏is also important to learn because it is applied to make something lose the original power of influence. It can be both conscious and unconscious behaviors but the objects are the specific things. For example, 长时间的工作损害了身体的健康.

Another group of words that the learners need to master are 破烂、破裂and破碎. 破烂is an adjective to describe something is old and frazzle due to the long time using like 破烂的衣服. 破裂is to say something is broken or has some cracks on the surface of the objects like 血管破裂. Of course, it is also can be used to describe the break in affection like 感情破裂. With a higher degree, 破碎means things are broken in pieces, both specific and abstract things.

Those students who got internships in China may often use the words 迫切and急切, the former of which is to mean something is difficult to be waited because it is so urging like 迫切的需要. It is more often used for the society, community or individual. However, 急切is applied to describe the individual specific action, emphasizing somebody is in a hurry in the mind.