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战况 (zhàn kuàng) — battlefield situation; war situation

Definition

noun
battlefield situationwar situation

Examples

  • 战况。
    Qián xiàn chuán lái zuì xīn de zhàn kuàng.
    The front line reports the latest battlefield situation.
  • 战况。
    Fēn xī zhàn kuàng xū yào kě kào de xìn xī.
    Analyzing the battlefield situation requires reliable information.
  • 战况，。
    Zài zhàn kuàng bú lì shí, tā men xuǎn zé le chè tuì.
    When the battlefield situation was unfavorable, they chose to retreat.

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.

战zhànbattle
况kuàngsituation

战 “battle” and 况 “situation” combine to mean the situation of a battle.

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
戈戈gē
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn战zhàn
Same sound today

战 pairs 占, which gives its sound, with 戈, a weapon.

Open 战 →

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 況; 况 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐriver
Sound part声符shēngfú
兄
兄xiōng況kuàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 況 pairs 氵 (river) with 兄 as the sound part; the simplified 况 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 况 →
Appears in
Military & Defense

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