卫士 (wèi shì) — bodyguard; guard | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

卫士 (wèishì) means 'guard' or 'bodyguard' — a formal, written-style noun often used for state, presidential, or ceremonial guards. Colloquial for personal protection is 保镖; 卫士 sounds more official and institutional.

noun

bodyguardguard

Measure word · 名

Examples

卫士。
Tā shì yì míng sī rén wèi shì.
He is a personal bodyguard.
卫士。
Zǒng tǒng de wèi shì suí shí bǎo hù tā de ān quán.
The president's bodyguard protects his safety at all times.
卫士，。
Zhè xiē wèi shì jīng guò yán gé xùn liàn, fēi cháng zhuān yè.
These bodyguards have undergone strict training and are very professional.

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.

卫wèiprotect

卫 names the guarding action, and 士 names the person, so it means a guard.

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 衛; 卫 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

韋

韋wéi衛wèi

Same sound today

The traditional form 衛 is built from 行 as the sense part and 韋 as the sound part; the simplified 卫 is a shorthand.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape 士 comes from a simple drawing of a war axe. The character later came to mean a soldier, officer, or intellectual.

Appears in

Professions & Jobs

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.