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参军 (cān jūn) — to join the army, to enlist

Definition

A verb-object phrase meaning 'to join the army / enlist', used for someone entering military service. Pairs with 参 (cān) — distinct from 参加 (cānjiā 'to take part in'), which is the general 'participate in' for events or activities.

verb
to join the armyto enlist

Examples

  • 参军。
    Tā qù nián cān jūn le.
    He joined the army last year.
  • 。
    Tā cān guò liǎng cì jūn.
    He has enlisted twice.
  • 参军。
    Hěn duō nián qīng rén xuǎn zé cān jūn.
    Many young people choose to join the army.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

参cānjoin
军jūnarmy

参 join and 军 army combine to mean enlist.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 參; 参 is its simplified writing.

For simplified 参, the story belongs to traditional 參, which combines 晶 (stars), 光 (light), and 彡 (rays) to show the Three Stars; one reading takes 光 as a kneeling person looking up.

Open 参 →

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 →
Appears in
Military & Defense

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