敌营 (dí yíng) — enemy camp

Definition

noun
enemy camp
Measure word · 座

Examples

  • 。
    Wǒ jūn zài yè jiān duì dí yíng fā dòng le tū xí.
    Our army launched a surprise attack on the enemy camp at night.
  • 敌营。
    Zhēn chá bīng mō qīng le dí yíng de wèi zhì hé bīng lì.
    The scouts found out the location and strength of the enemy camp.
  • 敌营。
    Tā men zài dí yíng wài wéi bù zhì le jǐng jiè xiàn.
    They set up a cordon around the enemy camp.

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.

敌díenemy
营yíngcamp

敌 (enemy) specifies whose 营 (camp) it is.

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 敵; 敌 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攴攴pūto tap; to hit
Sound part声符shēngfú
啻
啻chì敵dí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 敵 pairs 啻 as a sound part with 攴, a part for tapping or hitting.

Open 敌 →

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 營; 营 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宮宮gōngpalace
Sound part声符shēngfú
熒
熒yíng營yíng
Same sound today

The traditional form 營 pairs 宮 (palace) with 熒 as a sound part, depicting a person working all night with a light on his house; the simplified 营 is a later abbreviation.

Open 营 →

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