义勇军 (yì yǒng jūn) — volunteer army (especially the Chinese People's Volunteer Army in the Korean War)

Definition

Historical term for a 'volunteer army' — civilians who take up arms for the nation, not a professional standing force. Best known from 《义勇军进行曲》, the national anthem.

noun
volunteer army (especially the Chinese People's Volunteer Army in the Korean War)
Measure word · 支

Examples

  • 义勇军。
    Zhōng guó rén mín yì yǒng jūn zài cháo xiǎn zhàn zhēng zhōng yīng yǒng zuò zhàn.
    The Chinese People's Volunteer Army fought bravely in the Korean War.
  • 《义勇军》。
    《yì yǒng jūn Jìn xíng qǔ》 shì zhōng huá rén mín gòng hé guó de guó gē.
    'March of the Volunteers' is the national anthem of the People's Republic of China.
  • 义勇军，。
    Xǔ duō nián qīng rén jiā rù le yì yǒng jūn, bǎo wèi zǔ guó.
    Many young people joined the volunteer army to defend the motherland.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

义勇righteous and brave
义yìrighteousness勇yǒngbravery
联合Side by side
军jūnarmy

义 (righteousness) and 勇 (bravery) form 义勇, with 军 (army) giving volunteer army.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 義; 义 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
羊羊yáng
Sound part声符shēngfú
我
我wǒ義yì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 義 has 我 giving the sound and 羊 meaning good or auspicious; the simplified 义 is a later abbreviation.

Open 义 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrong
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng勇yǒng
Same sound today

勇 pairs 甬, which gives the sound, with 力, a strength part, to mean brave and strong.

Open 勇 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 軍; 军 is its simplified writing.

  • 車車jūcart; chariot
  • 勹勹bāoto surround

In the traditional form 軍, 車 shows the chariot sense, while the part now written 勹 is a sound part, not the 'surround' 勹. Simplified 军 is a later shorthand.

Open 军 →

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