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服兵役 (fú bīng yì) — 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 bīng yì.
    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.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

服fúperform
兵役military service
兵bīngsoldier役yìservice
偏正Modifier + head

服 (perform) with 兵 (soldier) and 役 (service) means to perform military service.

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
凡凡fántray
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠬝
𠬝𠬝服fú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 服, the part 𠬝 was the original picture for 'to subdue'; the added left part 凡, a tray, later changed shape.

Open 服 →

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 →

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

  • 彳彳chìmovement; action
  • 殳殳shūa weapon, like a spear

役 pairs 彳 (movement) with 殳 (a weapon like a spear) to show someone moving with a weapon to guard a border, giving the idea of a duty or task.

Open 役 →
Appears in
Military & Defense

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