警卫 (jǐng wèi) — (security) guard, sentry, watchperson

Definition

A security guard, especially one posted at a building, gate, or event to control access and check IDs.

noun
(security) guardsentrywatchperson
Measure word ·

Examples

  • 警卫
    Dà lóu de jǐng wèi jiǎn chá le měi gè rén de zhèng jiàn.
    The building security guard checked everyone's ID.
  • 警卫
    Wǒ men gōng sī yǒu èr shí gè jǐng wèi lún liú zhí bān.
    Our company has twenty security guards working in shifts.
  • 警卫
    jǐng wèi Tí xǐng lái fǎng zhě dēng jì xìng míng hé shí jiān.
    The guard reminds visitors to register their names and times.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

jǐngwatchful
wèiprotect

'警' suggests watchfulness and '卫' suggests protection, so together they name a person who guards.

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
yánspoken language, speech
Sound part声符shēngfú
Same sound today

警 places 言 (speech) below 敬; 敬 gives the sound.

Open 警 →

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 衛; 卫 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Sound part声符shēngfú
wéiwèi
Same sound today

The traditional form 衛 is built from 行 as the sense part and 韋 as the sound part; the simplified 卫 is a shorthand.

Open 卫 →

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