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扫荡 (sǎo dàng) — (military) to mop up, to clear out (enemy forces); (figurative) to eradicate, to wipe out (poverty, crime, etc.)

Definition

Strong verb meaning 'to mop up' or 'wipe out' — literally used of clearing an area of enemy forces, and figuratively of eradicating something like poverty or corruption.

verb
(military) to mop upto clear out (enemy forces)(figurative) to eradicateto wipe out (poverty, crime, etc.)

Examples

  • 扫荡。
    Bù duì zhèng zài duì shān qū jìn xíng sǎo dàng.
    The troops are mopping up the mountainous area.
  • 扫荡。
    Zhèng fǔ jué xīn sǎo dàng yí qiè fǔ bài xiàn xiàng.
    The government is determined to eradicate all corruption.
  • ，扫荡。
    Zhè chǎng zhàn yì zhī hòu, dí rén bèi chè dǐ sǎo dàng le.
    After this battle, the enemy was completely wiped out.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

扫sǎosweep
荡dàngclear away

扫 and 荡 both suggest sweeping away or clearing out.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 掃; 扫 is its simplified writing.

The form 掃 draws a hand with a broomstick, the thing used for sweeping.

Open 扫 →

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 蕩; 荡 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 荡 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words it is 蕩; in others it is 盪.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
湯
湯tāng蕩dàng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

About the traditional form 蕩: it is made of 艹 (grass, written fully as 艸) and 湯, which gives the sound. The simplified 荡 is only a later shorthand.

Open 荡 →
Appears in
Military & Defense

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