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布阵 (bù zhèn) — to deploy troops in formation (military); to set up an array or strategy (in chess, business, etc.)

Definition

布阵 (bù zhèn) literally means to deploy troops in formation, and extends to setting up any strategic arrangement — in chess, business, or competition. A verb-object phrase, not a fixed idiom.

verb
to deploy troops in formation (military)to set up an array or strategy (in chess, business, etc.)

Examples

  • 布阵。
    Jiāng jūn xià lìng zài chéng wài bù zhèn.
    The general ordered troops to be deployed outside the city.
  • ，布阵，。
    Xià qí shí, tā qiǎo miào dì bù zhèn, hěn kuài jiù yíng le.
    When playing chess, he cleverly set up his formation and soon won.
  • ，布阵。
    Zhè cì bǐ sài, wǒ men gōng sī xū yào chóng xīn bù zhèn.
    For this competition, our company needs to redeploy our strategy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

布bùdeploy; arrange
阵zhènformation

布 means to arrange or deploy, and 阵 means a formation, so the action is to set up that formation.

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
巾巾jīnkerchief
Sound part声符shēngfú
父
父fù布bù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

布 pairs 巾, a kerchief, with 父 as a sound part.

Open 布 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 陣; 阵 is its simplified writing.

  • 東東dōngsack?
  • 東東dōng
  • 攴攴pū

In the traditional form 陣, a left-side part was added to a shortened 東; the older shape also used 攴. The simplified 阵 is a later shorthand.

Open 阵 →
Appears in
Military & Defense

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