骑兵 (qí bīng) — cavalry; cavalryman | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

cavalrycavalryman

Measure word · 名

Examples

骑兵。
Zhè zhī qí bīng bù duì fēi cháng yǒng gǎn.
This cavalry unit is very brave.
骑兵。
Tā zài yóu xì lǐ xuǎn zé le qí bīng zhí yè.
He chose the cavalry class in the game.
骑兵。
Gǔ dài zhàn zhēng zhōng qí bīng qǐ zhe zhòng yào zuò yòng.
In ancient warfare, cavalry played an important role.

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.

兵bīngsoldier

骑 means ride and 兵 means soldier, together naming a mounted soldier.

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 騎; 骑 is its simplified writing.

馬奇騎

Meaning part形符xíngfú

馬馬mǎhorse

Sound part声符shēngfú

奇

奇qí騎qí

Same sound today

The traditional form 騎 combines 馬, meaning horse, with 奇, which supplies the sound, for riding a horse; the simplified 骑 is a later shorthand.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

斤斤jīna short axe
廾廾gǒng2 hands

兵 combines 斤, a short axe, with 廾, two hands, showing a pair of hands holding a weapon.

Appears in

Military & Defense

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.