TongTong
Sign in

一线 (yī xiàn) — front line (of work, battle, or production)

Definition

一线 means 'front line' in a broad, often non-military sense — rescue, journalism, production work (as in examples). 前线 is more specifically military; 前沿 is the cutting edge of science or technology.

noun
front line (of work, battle, or production)

Examples

  • 一线。
    Tā zài jiù yuán yī xiàn gōng zuò.
    He works on the rescue front line.
  • 一线。
    Tā yì zhí jiān chí zài yī xiàn fèn dòu.
    She has been persisting in struggling on the front line.
  • 一线。
    Zhè xiē jì zhě zài yī xiàn jìn xíng bào dào.
    These journalists are reporting from the front line.

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.

一yīfirst
线xiànline

一 means 'first', so 一线 is the first line, i.e. the front line, not a single line.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

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 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
泉
泉quán線xiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

Open 线 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Military & DefenseWorkplace & Office

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