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先锋 (xiān fēng) — (military) vanguard; (figurative) pioneer; trailblazer; (arts) avant-garde

Definition

先锋 refers to a person or group leading the way in a new field — stronger than 前辈 (which stresses seniority/experience) and focuses on being first, not on opening territory like 开拓.

noun
(military) vanguard(figurative) pioneertrailblazer(arts) avant-garde
Measure word · 名

Examples

  • 先锋。
    Jūn duì de xiān fēng bù duì yǐ jīng tū pò le dí rén de fáng xiàn.
    The army's vanguard troops have already broken through the enemy's防线.
  • 先锋。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī shì huán bǎo jì shù de xiān fēng.
    This company is a pioneer in environmental technology.
  • 先锋。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō shì wén xué xiān fēng de dài biǎo zuò.
    This novel is a representative work of the literary avant-garde.

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.

先xiānfront
锋fēngedge

A 先 锋, the front edge, leads the way.

Characters in this word

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

先 combines 止 (foot) and 儿 (person) to show someone moving forward.

Open 先 →

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 鋒; 锋 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
夆
夆páng鋒fēng
Same sound today

The traditional form 鋒 pairs 金 (metal) with a sound part 夆; the simplified 锋 is a shorthand.

Open 锋 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Military & Defense

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