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从警 (cóng jǐng) — to work as a police officer; to engage in police work

Definition

从警 means 'to work in police / as a police officer,' emphasizing the career choice itself rather than duty. Often used after verbs like 选择, 梦想, 从事 to describe entering the profession.

verb
to work as a police officerto engage in police work

Examples

  • 从警。
    Tā dà xué bì yè hòu jiù xuǎn zé cóng jǐng le.
    He chose to become a police officer right after college.
  • 从警，。
    cóng jǐng Zhè me duō nián, tā cóng lái méi yǒu hòu huǐ guò.
    After so many years in police work, he has never regretted it.
  • 从警，。
    Tā cóng xiǎo jiù mèng xiǎng cóng jǐng, xiàn zài zhōng yú shí xiàn le.
    She dreamed of being a police officer since childhood, and now she has finally achieved it.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

从cóngfollow or take up
警jǐngpolice work

从 means to follow or take up, and 警 means police work; together they describe entering police service.

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 從; 从 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
从
从cóng從cóng
Same sound today

The traditional form 從 pairs 辵 (walk) with 从, which gives the sound; the character was originally written 从.

Open 从 →

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
言言yánspoken language, speech
Sound part声符shēngfú
敬
敬jìng警
Same sound today

警 places 言 (speech) below 敬; 敬 gives the sound.

Open 警 →
Appears in
Crime & PoliceProfessions & Jobs

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