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备战 (bèi zhàn) — to prepare for war; (figurative) to prepare intensively for a major event (e.g., exam, competition)

Definition

备战 means to prepare intensively for a major challenge — usually a war, exam, or competition. Contrast with 考试 (the exam itself) and 作战 (active fighting): 备战 is the preparation phase before the contest or battle begins.

verb
to prepare for war(figurative) to prepare intensively for a major event (e.g., exam, competition)

Examples

  • 备战，。
    Jūn duì zhèng zài jī jí bèi zhàn, yǐ fáng dí rén rù qīn.
    The army is actively preparing for war to guard against enemy invasion.
  • ，备战。
    Wèi le kǎo shàng lǐ xiǎng de dà xué, tā měi tiān bèi zhàn dào shēn yè.
    To get into his dream university, he prepares intensively until late every night.
  • 备战。
    Yùn dòng yuán men zhèng zài wèi ào yùn huì bèi zhàn.
    The athletes are preparing intensively for the Olympics.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

备bèiprepare
战zhànwar

备 means prepare, and 战 means war, so the word is preparing for war.

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 備; 备 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 備 shows a person carrying a quiver, matching the meaning 'ready; prepared'; the simplified 备 is a later abbreviation.

Open 备 →

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
戈戈gē
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn战zhàn
Same sound today

战 pairs 占, which gives its sound, with 戈, a weapon.

Open 战 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Military & Defense

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