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奇兵 (qí bīng) — surprise force; commandos (troops used for a sudden, unexpected strike); an ingenious or unexpected move that turns the tables (in competitions, strategy, etc.)

Definition

Literally 'surprise troops', now used figuratively for any clever, unexpected move that flips the situation — in business, chess, or strategy, not just the military.

noun
surprise forcecommandos (troops used for a sudden, unexpected strike)an ingenious or unexpected move that turns the tables (in competitions, strategy, etc.)

Examples

  • 奇兵。
    Dí jūn méi liào dào wǒ men huì pài qí bīng cóng cè yì bāo chāo.
    The enemy didn't expect us to send a surprise force to outflank them from the side.
  • 奇兵。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī zhāo pìn rén cái de fāng shì kān chēng shāng jiè de qí bīng.
    This company's way of recruiting talent can be called a surprise move in the business world.
  • 奇兵。
    Xiàng qí gāo shǒu wǎng wǎng kào yī zhe qí bīng niǔ zhuǎn liè shì.
    Chess masters often turn a losing position around with an ingenious surprise move.

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.

奇qístrange
兵bīngsoldiers

Unusual and soldiers combine to mean a surprise force.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
大大dàbig; great
Sound part声符shēngfú
可
可kě奇
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

奇 pairs 大 (big; great) with 可, a sound part.

Open 奇 →

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

  • 斤斤jīna short axe
  • 廾廾gǒng2 hands

兵 combines 斤, a short axe, with 廾, two hands, showing a pair of hands holding a weapon.

Open 兵 →
Appears in
Military & Defense

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