上等兵 (shàng děng bīng) — private first-class (military rank)

Definition

noun

private first-class (military rank)

Measure word · 个

上等兵。
Tā shì yì míng shàng děng bīng.
He is a private first-class.
上等兵。
Tā zài bù duì lǐ dāng le liǎng nián shàng děng bīng.
He served as a private first-class in the army for two years.
上等兵。
shàng děng bīng Shì shì bīng jìn shēng de dì yī gè jí bié.
Private first-class is the first rank for soldier promotion.

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.

上等upper grade

偏正Modifier + head

上等 'upper grade' and 兵 'soldier' give the rank of first-class soldier.

Characters in this word

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

上 is drawn as a short horizontal line placed above a longer arc, marking a position above that arc.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

竹寺等

Meaning part形符xíngfú

竹竹zhúbamboo

Sound part声符shēngfú

寺

寺sì等děng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The top 竹 shows bamboo strips used for writing and sorting; the bottom 寺 once gave the sound, but now sounds different.

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

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