边境 (biān jìng) — border, frontier | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

边境 is the geographic border area between two countries — the actual line plus nearby region. Use 边疆 for the remote frontier region itself; 边界 is more abstract, a dividing line (also used metaphorically).

noun

borderfrontier

Measure word · 个

Examples

边境。
Liǎng guó zài biān jìng wèn tí shàng dá chéng le xié yì.
The two countries reached an agreement on the border issue.
边境。
Zhè ge biān jìng xiǎo zhèn yǐ mào yì fēi cháng ān jìng.
This small border town is very quiet.
边境。
Tā nián qīng shí zài biān jìng dāng guò bīng.
He served as a soldier at the frontier when he was young.

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

境jìngterritory

边 marks the border, and 境 denotes territory; together they refer to a frontier area.

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.

辶臱邊

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.

土竟境

Meaning part形符xíngfú

土土tǔearth

Sound part声符shēngfú

竟

竟jìng境jìng

Same sound today

境 pairs 土 (earth) with 竟, which gives the sound; the 土 part carries the meaning.

Open 境 →

Appears in