空降兵 (kōng jiàng bīng) — airborne troops; paratroops

Definition

noun
airborne troopsparatroops
Measure word · 名

Examples

  • 空降兵。
    kōng jiàng bīng Zài zhàn chǎng shàng qǐ zhe zhòng yào zuò yòng.
    Airborne troops play an important role on the battlefield.
  • 空降兵。
    Tā shì yì míng yōu xiù de kōng jiàng bīng.
    He is an excellent paratrooper.
  • 空降兵。
    kōng jiàng bīng Xū yào jīng guò yán gé de xùn liàn.
    Airborne troops need to undergo strict training.

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.

空降airborne drop
空kōngair降jiàngdrop
偏正Modifier + head
兵bīngsoldiers

空降兵 combines 空降 (airborne drop) and 兵 (soldiers), meaning paratroops.

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
穴穴xuécave, hole
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng空kōng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

空 is built from 穴, a cave or hole, and 工, which gives the sound.

Open 空 →

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
阝Written in full as阜fùhill, wall
Sound part声符shēngfú
夅
夅jiàng降xiáng
Same sound today

降 pairs 阝 (a hill or wall, written in full as 阜) with 夅, a sound part meaning 'to descend'; together they picture descending a hill.

Open 降 →

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 →

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