击落 (jī luò) — to shoot down (aircraft, missile, etc.)

Definition

verb
to shoot down (aircraft, missile, etc.)

Examples

  • 击落
    Dí rén fā shè de dǎo dàn bèi wǒ jūn jī luò le.
    The missile launched by the enemy was shot down by our army.
  • 击落
    Fēi xíng yuán chéng gōng jī luò le yí jià dí jī.
    The pilot successfully shot down an enemy plane.
  • 击落
    Tā men yòng xīn xíng wǔ qì jī luò le wú rén jī.
    They shot down the drone with a new type of weapon.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

strike

“击” means to strike or shoot, and “落” means to fall, together meaning to shoot something down.

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 擊; 击 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
Same sound today

The traditional form 擊 has 手 (hand) and 毄; 毄 gives the sound and also points to striking, while the simplified 击 is a later shorthand.

Open 击 →

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
Written in full ascǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
luòluò
Same sound today

落 pairs 艹 with 洛; 洛 gives the sound, and 艹 relates to the meaning.

Open 落 →

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