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回击 (huí jī) — to fight back, to counterattack

Definition

回击 is a transitive verb: to fight back or counter, with an actual counter-move as the object (对方的攻击, 对方的观点). It implies a deliberate retaliatory action, stronger than just 'responding'.

verb
to fight backto counterattack

Examples

  • ，回击。
    Miàn duì dí rén de jìn gōng, tā men yǒng gǎn dì huí jī le.
    Facing the enemy's attack, they bravely counterattacked.
  • ，回击。
    Zài biàn lùn zhōng, tā qiǎo miào dì huí jī le duì fāng de guān diǎn.
    During the debate, he skillfully countered the other side's points.
  • 回击。
    Tā zài bǐ sài zhōng bèi jī zhòng hòu xùn sù huí jī.
    After being hit in the match, he quickly counterattacked.

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.

回huíback
击jīstrike

「回」 means back and 「击」 means strike, so it means to strike back.

Characters in this word

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

回 comes from a drawing of a spiral, showing something turning around.

Open 回 →

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 擊; 击 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
毄
毄jī擊jī
Same sound today

The traditional form 擊 has 手 (hand) and 毄; 毄 gives the sound and also points to striking, while the simplified 击 is a later shorthand.

Open 击 →
Appears in
Conflict & Agreement

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