大将军 (dà jiāng jūn) — generalissimo, high-ranking general (historical title)

Definition

A historical military title for the highest-ranking general, used mainly in ancient China and classical-style writing — not a rank used today.

noun
generalissimohigh-ranking general (historical title)
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • ，大将军。
    Zài gǔ dài, dà jiāng jūn shì jūn duì de zuì gāo zhǐ huī guān.
    In ancient times, the generalissimo was the highest commander of the army.
  • 大将军，。
    Zhè wèi dà jiāng jūn zuò zhàn yǒng měng, duō cì qǔ dé shèng lì.
    This generalissimo fought bravely and won many victories.
  • 大将军。
    Xiǎo shuō lǐ de dà jiāng jūn shēn shòu shì bīng ài dài.
    The generalissimo in the novel was deeply loved by the soldiers.

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.

大dàgreat
将军general
将jiānglead军jūnarmy
动宾Verb + object

大 marks a high rank, and 将军 is a general, so the title means a great general.

Characters in this word

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

The form 大 is a picture of a person standing and facing forward, not of someone stretching their arms.

Open 大 →

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 將; 将 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat
寸寸cùnhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
爿
爿pán將jiāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 將 combines 爿, which also supplies a sound and may show a small table, with ⺼ (meat) and 寸 (hand) to picture offering meat as tribute. The simplified 将 is a later shorthand.

Open 将 →

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 →

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