国民党 (Guó mín dǎng) — Kuomintang (KMT), the Nationalist Party of China

Definition

Proper name: the Kuomintang (KMT), the Chinese Nationalist Party, founded in the early 20th century and historically a rival to the Communist Party (共产党).

noun
Kuomintang (KMT)the Nationalist Party of China

Examples

  • 国民党。
    Guó mín dǎng Zài tái wān réng rán shì zhòng yào de zhèng zhì lì liàng.
    The KMT is still an important political force in Taiwan.
  • ，国民党。
    Lì shǐ shàng, Guó mín dǎng hé gòng chǎn dǎng céng jīng hé zuò kàng rì.
    Historically, the KMT and the Communist Party once cooperated to resist Japan.
  • 国民党。
    Zhè běn shū xiáng xì jiè shào le Guó mín dǎng de jiàn lì guò chéng.
    This book describes in detail the founding process of the KMT.

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.

国民citizens; national people
国guócountry民mínpeople
偏正Modifier + head
党dǎngparty

国民 (citizens or national people) and 党 (party) name a party of the nation's people.

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.

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.

Open 国 →

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

The early form of 民 shows an eye pierced by a sharp cross-shaped implement, possibly linked to an injured or unclear eye.

Open 民 →

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
儿儿érhuman
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng党dǎng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

党 pairs 尚, giving its sound, with 儿, a human.

Open 党 →

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