换岗 (huàn gǎng) — to relieve a sentry; to change the guard | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

换岗 (huàn gǎng) is the formal/military term for 'changing the guard' — replacing one sentry or shift with another, typically on a scheduled rotation.

verb

to relieve a sentryto change the guard

Examples

换岗。
Tā men měi wǎn shí èr diǎn zhǔn shí huàn gǎng.
They change the guard at exactly midnight every night.
。
Shào bīng yǐ jīng huàn guò liǎng cì gǎng le.
The sentry has already been relieved twice.
换岗。
Jīn tiān yóu nǐ fù zé zài shàng wǔ jiǔ diǎn huàn gǎng.
You are responsible for the guard change at 9 a.m. today.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

换 means to change and 岗 means post, so the sense is replacing the person on duty.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 換; 换 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

手手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

奐

奐huàn換huàn

Same sound today

For the traditional form 換, 手 is the hand part and 奐 gives the sound; this note is about 換, not the simplified 换.

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 崗; 岗 is its simplified writing.

山岡崗

Meaning part形符xíngfú

山山shānmountain

Sound part声符shēngfú

岡

岡gāng崗gǎng

Same sound today

The traditional form 崗 uses 山 to show a hill or mountain and 岡 to carry the sound; the simplified 岗 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

Military & Defense

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