交通警 (jiāo tōng jǐng) — traffic police

Definition

noun
traffic police
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 交通警。
    jiāo tōng jǐng Zài lù kǒu zhǐ huī jiāo tōng.
    Traffic police direct traffic at intersections.
  • 交通警。
    Nà wèi jiāo tōng jǐng zhèng zài gěi wéi zhāng sī jī kāi fá dān.
    That traffic police officer is giving a ticket to a traffic violator.
  • 交通警，。
    jiāo tōng jǐng De gōng zuò hěn xīn kǔ, wú lùn qíng tiān yǔ tiān dōu yào zhàn gǎng.
    Traffic police have a hard job; they have to stand guard regardless of sunny or rainy weather.

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.

交通traffic
交jiāointersect通tōngpass
联合Side by side
警jǐngpolice

交通 (traffic) specifies the kind of 警 (police).

Characters in this word

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

交 originally drew a human with crossed legs. In the modern shape, the upper part resembles a standing person.

Open 交 →

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
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng通tōng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

通 pairs 辶, a part associated with movement, with 甬, which gives the sound.

Open 通 →

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
言言yánspoken language, speech
Sound part声符shēngfú
敬
敬jìng警
Same sound today

警 places 言 (speech) below 敬; 敬 gives the sound.

Open 警 →

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