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侦察兵 (zhēn chá bīng) — scout (military)

Definition

noun
scout (military)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 侦察兵。
    zhēn chá bīng Xiān bǎ dí fāng de qíng kuàng bào gào gěi le bù duì.
    The scout first reported the enemy's situation to the troops.
  • 侦察兵。
    Zhè ge zhēn chá bīng de rèn wu shì guān chá qián fāng dì xíng.
    This scout's mission is to observe the terrain ahead.
  • 侦察兵。
    Tā men pài chū le yì míng zhēn chá bīng qù zhēn chá dí rén de dòng xiàng.
    They sent a scout to reconnoiter the enemy's movements.

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.

侦察scout
侦zhēndetect察cháobserve
联合Coordinate
兵bīngsoldier

侦察 for scouting and 兵 for a soldier combine to mean a scout.

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 偵; 侦 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺅Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
貞
貞zhēn偵zhēn
Same sound today

The traditional form 偵 pairs ⺅ (person) with 貞, which gives the sound and the idea of asking; the simplified 侦 is a later shorthand.

Open 侦 →

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

The shape 察 combines 宀, a roof, with 祭 as the sound part.

Open 察 →

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.

Open 兵 →
Appears in
Military & Defense

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