国君 (guó jūn) — monarch | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A formal, historical term for the sovereign ruler of a state (king, monarch). Distinct from 国王, which is the standard modern word for a king.

noun

monarch

Measure word · 位

Examples

国君。
Gǔ dài guó jūn yōng yǒu zuì gāo quán lì.
Ancient monarchs had the highest power.
国君。
Zhè wèi guó jūn zhì lǐ guó jiā hěn yǒu fāng fǎ.
This monarch governed the country very methodically.
国君。
Lì shǐ shàng xǔ duō guó jūn dōu zhòng shì nóng yè.
In history, many monarchs valued agriculture.

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.

国guócountry

国 means state and 君 means ruler; together they denote the ruler of a state.

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 國; 国 is its simplified writing.

囗或國

Meaning part形符xíngfú

囗囗wéiclosure

Sound part声符shēngfú

或

或huò國guó

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 國 uses 囗 to show closure and 或 to give the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

尹口君

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

尹

尹yǐn君jūn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

君 combines 尹 and 口. Early forms were often interchangeable with 尹, and 口 may show commands or simply be decorative.

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