革命家 (gé mìng jiā) — revolutionary

Definition

A person who leads or is dedicated to revolution (革命). The suffix 家 marks someone known for this role, like '革命者' but with a stronger sense of a recognized, committed figure.

noun
revolutionary
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 革命家。
    Tā shì yí wèi wěi dà de gé mìng jiā.
    He is a great revolutionary.
  • 革命家。
    Zhè wèi gé mìng jiā zài lì shǐ shàng hěn yǒu míng.
    This revolutionary is very famous in history.
  • 革命家。
    Xǔ duō gé mìng jiā wèi le guó jiā xiàn chū le shēng mìng.
    Many revolutionaries sacrificed their lives for the country.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

革命revolution
革géchange命mìngmandate
动宾Verb + object
家jiāperson

革命 combines 革 change and 命 mandate, while 家 refers to a person, giving a revolutionary.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

革 is drawn as a stretched animal hide, with the upper part as the head and the lower part as the tail and legs.

Open 革 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
令
令lìng命mìng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

命 combines 口, a mouth, with 令, which gives the sound.

Open 命 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

Open 家 →

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