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战将 (zhàn jiāng) — a seasoned military commander; a warrior general; a key figure or indispensable assistant in any field

Definition

战将 literally means 'war general' — a battle-tested commander. By extension it metaphorically labels the indispensable person any team relies on.

noun
a seasoned military commandera warrior generala key figure or indispensable assistant in any field
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 战将。
    Zhè wèi zhàn jiāng zài zhàn chǎng shàng lì xià le hè hè zhàn gōng.
    This seasoned general achieved brilliant military exploits on the battlefield.
  • 战将，。
    Tā shì gōng sī lǐ de zhàn jiāng, méi yǒu tā xiàng mù hěn nán chéng gōng.
    He is an indispensable assistant in the company; without him the project would be very difficult to succeed.
  • 战将。
    Lì shǐ shàng hěn duō zhàn jiāng dōu chū shēn yú píng mín.
    Many warrior generals in history came from commoner backgrounds.

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zhànwar
将jiānggeneral

战 means war and 将 means general, together meaning a general in war.

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 將; 将 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat
寸寸cùnhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
爿
爿pán將jiāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 將 combines 爿, which also supplies a sound and may show a small table, with ⺼ (meat) and 寸 (hand) to picture offering meat as tribute. The simplified 将 is a later shorthand.

Open 将 →
Appears in
Military & DefenseProfessions & Jobs

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