军机 (jūn jī) — military aircraft; military secret or plan

Definition

A word with two distinct senses: a 'military aircraft' (the plane itself), or a 'military secret/plan' (classified state information). Example 1 is the plane sense; examples 2–3 are the secret sense.

noun
military aircraftmilitary secret or plan
Measure word · 架

Examples

  • 军机。
    Zhè jià jūn jī shì xīn xíng zhàn dòu jī.
    This military aircraft is a new type of fighter jet.
  • 军机。
    Xiè lòu jūn jī shì yán zhòng de wéi fǎ xíng wéi.
    Leaking military secrets is a serious illegal act.
  • 军机。
    Tā fù zé bǎo guǎn zhòng yào de jūn jī wén jiàn.
    He is responsible for safeguarding important military-plan documents.

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.

军jūnmilitary
机jīaircraft

军 points to military use, and 机 names the aircraft, together giving military airplane.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 軍; 军 is its simplified writing.

  • 車車jūcart; chariot
  • 勹勹bāoto surround

In the traditional form 軍, 車 shows the chariot sense, while the part now written 勹 is a sound part, not the 'surround' 勹. Simplified 军 is a later shorthand.

Open 军 →

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
木木mùtree; wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
几
几jǐ机jī
Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

Open 机 →

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