边关 (biān guān) — border pass; strategic border position

Definition

边关 refers to a strategic border pass or frontier garrison — a militarized frontier stronghold, not just any border area. In classical and historical contexts it implies a fortified post where troops were stationed to defend the realm.

noun
border passstrategic border position

Examples

  • 边关，。
    Gǔ dài jūn duì zhù shǒu biān guān, bǎo wèi guó jiā ān quán.
    Ancient armies stationed at border passes to defend national security.
  • 边关。
    Tā zài biān guān zhù fáng le zhěng zhěng shí nián.
    He served at the border post for a full ten years.
  • 边关。
    Lì dài cháo tíng dōu shí fēn zhòng shì biān guān de jiàn shè.
    Every dynasty highly valued the construction of border defenses.

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.

边biānborder
关guānpass

边 means border and 关 means a pass, naming a guarded frontier place.

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 邊; 边 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòwalking; movement
Sound part声符shēngfú
臱
臱mián邊biān(r)
Same sound today

The traditional form 邊 pairs 辶 (walking; movement) with the sound part 臱; the simplified 边 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 边 →

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 關; 关 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
門門méndoor
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢇅
𢇅𢇅關guān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 关, the traditional form 關 shows 門 as a door and 𢇅 as two wooden sticks locking it, with ring-like marks on top.

Open 关 →

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