保安员 (bǎo ān yuán) — security guard, security personnel

Definition

noun
security guardsecurity personnel
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 保安员。
    Tā zài yì jiā gōng sī dāng bǎo ān yuán.
    He works as a security guard at a company.
  • 保安员。
    bǎo ān yuán Zhèng zài dà lóu lǐ xún luó.
    The security guard is patrolling the building.
  • 保安员。
    Fǎng kè xū yào dào bǎo ān yuán nà lǐ dēng jì.
    Visitors need to register with the security guard.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

保安security
保bǎoprotect安ānsafety
动宾Verb + object
员yuánperson

保安 (protect safety) and 员 (person) name a security guard.

Characters in this word

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

保 originally showed a person 人 carrying a child 子 on their back, which led to the sense of protecting.

Open 保 →

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mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
女
女nǚ安ān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 安, 宀 sits above a seated 女 on a cushion; 宀 is the meaning part, 女 is the sound part, and the character originally meant sitting at ease.

Open 安 →

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 員; 员 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
鼎鼎dǐngding
Sound part声符shēngfú
〇
〇líng員yuán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 員, 〇 supplies the sound and 鼎 supplies the meaning; the simplified 员 is a shortened form.

Open 员 →

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