转战 (zhuǎn zhàn) — to fight in one place after another; to move from one battlefield (or arena) to another

Definition

Literally 'shift battlefields,' 转战 extends the military image to any arena: business, sports, coaching. It means moving one's fight from one place to another, not just relocating.

verb
to fight in one place after anotherto move from one battlefield (or arena) to another

Examples

  • 转战，。
    Zhè zhī jūn duì céng zhuǎn zhàn dà jiāng nán běi, lì xià hè hè zhàn gōng.
    This army once fought across the length of the Yangtze, earning brilliant military achievements.
  • 转战，。
    Tā tuì yì hòu zhuǎn zhàn shāng jiè, hěn kuài jiù chuàng bàn le zì jǐ de gōng sī.
    After retiring, he shifted to the business world and soon founded his own company.
  • 转战，。
    Zhè wèi jiào liàn zhuǎn zhàn duō gè jù lè bù, jī lěi le fēng fù de zhí jiào jīng yàn.
    This coach has moved between several clubs, accumulating rich coaching experience.

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.

转zhuǎnmove
战zhànfight

转 (move) and 战 (fight) combine to mean fighting in one place after another.

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 轉; 转 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
專
專zhuān轉zhuǎn
Same sound today

The traditional form 轉 combines 車, a carriage, with 專 as a sound part; the simplified 转 is a later shorthand.

Open 转 →

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
戈戈gē
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn战zhàn
Same sound today

战 pairs 占, which gives its sound, with 戈, a weapon.

Open 战 →

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