检阅 (jiǎn yuè) — (verb) to review (troops, a parade, etc.)

Definition

A formal, ceremonial verb meaning to review or inspect troops at a parade or military ceremony — used for high officials inspecting a formation, not for casual reading or checking documents.

verb

to review (troops, a parade, etc.)

Examples

检阅。
Jiāng jūn jiǎn yuè le quán tǐ shì bīng.
The general reviewed all the soldiers.
检阅。
Měi nián guó qìng jié dōu huì jǔ xíng jiǎn yuè yí shì.
Every year on National Day a review ceremony is held.
检阅。
Zhè cì jiǎn yuè zhǎn shì le jūn duì de zuì xīn zhuāng bèi.
This review displayed the army's latest equipment.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

检jiǎninspect

阅yuèreview

The 检 sense of inspecting and the 阅 sense of reviewing stand side by side.

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 檢; 检 is its simplified writing.

木僉檢

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mù

Sound part声符shēngfú

僉

僉qiān檢jiǎn

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 檢 pairs 木 (wood) with 僉 as a sound part; it may originally have pictured a blade on top of a wooden spear. The simplified 检 is a later shorthand.

Open 检 →

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 閱; 阅 is its simplified writing.

門兌閱

Meaning part形符xíngfú

門門mén

Sound part声符shēngfú

兌

兌duì閱yuè

Same sound today

The traditional form 閱 pairs 門, a gate, with 兌, a part that gives the sound; the simplified 阅 is a shorthand.

Open 阅 →