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救兵 (jiù bīng) — relief troops; reinforcements

Definition

Literally 'rescue troops', 救兵 refers to reinforcements sent to help in a crisis — usually in the fixed phrase 搬救兵 ('call in reinforcements / bring in outside help').

noun
relief troopsreinforcements
Measure word · 支

Examples

  • 救兵。
    Tā men pài lái le jiù bīng.
    They sent reinforcements.
  • 救兵。
    Wǒ men zhèng zài děng dài jiù bīng.
    We are waiting for relief troops.
  • 救兵。
    jiù bīng Zài lí míng shí fēn gǎn dào.
    The reinforcements arrived at dawn.

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.

救jiùrescue
兵bīngtroops

救 means rescue, and 兵 means troops, so together they express relief troops or reinforcements.

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
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
求
求qiú救jiù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 救, 求 gives the sound, and 攴 is the action part.

Open 救 →

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

  • 斤斤jīna short axe
  • 廾廾gǒng2 hands

兵 combines 斤, a short axe, with 廾, two hands, showing a pair of hands holding a weapon.

Open 兵 →
Appears in
Military & Defense

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