少尉 (shào wèi) — second lieutenant (in the army or air force); e…

Definition

noun

second lieutenant (in the army or air force)ensign (in the navy)

Measure word · 个

少尉。
Tā zài jūn duì lǐ shì shào wèi.
He is a second lieutenant in the army.
少尉。
Nà wèi shào wèi gāng cóng jūn xiào bì yè.
That second lieutenant just graduated from military academy.
少尉？
Hǎi jūn shào wèi de jūn xián biāo zhì shì shén me?
What is the insignia of a naval ensign?

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.

少 means junior or second, and 尉 refers to an officer rank, together naming a second lieutenant.

Characters in this word

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

The form 少 is drawn as four dots, perhaps three grains of sand, to indicate a few or a little.

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

The form 尉 is made of 𡰥, 寸 (hand), and 火 (fire); the meaning of 𡰥 is unclear.

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