练武 (liàn wǔ) — to practice martial arts

Definition

A verb-object phrase literally 'practice martial arts' (练 + 武). The verb 练 is used here for repeated skill training, with the object 武 naming the skill — a common pattern in Chinese (练字, 练歌, 练车).

verb
to practice martial arts

Examples

  • 练武。
    Tā měi tiān liàn wǔ.
    He practices martial arts every day.
  • 。
    Tā liàn le sān nián wǔ.
    He practiced martial arts for three years.
  • ？
    Nǐ liàn guò wǔ ma?
    Have you ever practiced martial arts?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

练liànpractice
武wǔmartial arts

练 means practice and 武 refers to martial arts, giving the idea of practicing martial arts.

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 練; 练 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
柬
柬jiǎn練liàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 練 has 糸, silk, and 柬, which gives the sound. The simplified 练 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not historical.

Open 练 →

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

武 puts 戈 (dagger-axe) above 止 (foot/to walk), showing an army going on an expedition.

Open 武 →

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