服兵役 (fú) — to serve in the military, to perform military service
Definition
A formal phrase for performing mandatory or conscripted military service. 兵 emphasises the military branch — pair it with 军队 (army) or 兵役法 (conscription law).
verb
to serve in the militaryto perform military service
Examples
- 服兵役。Tā shí bā suì shí kāi shǐ fú.He started serving in the military at age eighteen.
- ，。Wǒ fú le liǎng nián bīng yì, qù nián tuì wǔ le.I served two years in the military and was discharged last year.
- ，。Tā cóng lái méi fú guò bīng yì, bú tài liǎo jiě jūn duì shēng huó.He has never served in the military, so he doesn't know much about army life.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.