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国界 (guó jiè) — national border; national boundary

Definition

noun
national bordernational boundary
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 国界。
    Zhè tiáo hé shì liǎng guó de guó jiè.
    This river is the border between the two countries.
  • 国界。
    Liǎng guó zài guó jiè wèn tí shàng cún zài zhēng yì.
    The two countries have disputes over the border issue.
  • 国界。
    Jūn duì shǒu wèi zhe guó jiā de guó jiè.
    The army guards the national border.

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.

国guócountry
界jièboundary

国 (country) limits 界 (boundary), forming the line that separates one nation from another.

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 國; 国 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
囗囗wéiclosure
Sound part声符shēngfú
或
或huò國guó
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 國 uses 囗 to show closure and 或 to give the sound.

Open 国 →

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
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
介
介jiè界jiè
Same sound today

界 is built from 田 (field) and 介. 田 carries the meaning, while 介 gives the sound.

Open 界 →
Appears in
Government & Politics

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