守卫 (shǒu wèi) — to guard, to defend | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A more formal, written register verb for 'to guard / defend' (territory, gate, homeland). 保卫 is broader 'to defend/defend' (people, cause, country); 保护 is everyday 'to protect'.

verb

to guardto defend

Examples

守卫。
Shì bīng men zài mén kǒu shǒu wèi zhe.
The soldiers are guarding the gate.
守卫。
Tā men yīng yǒng dì shǒu wèi le zhè zuò qiáo.
They bravely defended this bridge.
守卫。
Wǒ men yào shǒu wèi zì jǐ de jiā yuán.
We must guard our own homeland.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

守 and 卫 both mean to protect, so together they emphasize guarding or defending.

Characters in this word

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

宀寸守

宀宀miánroof; building
寸寸cùnhand

守 pairs 宀, a roof or building, with 寸, a hand, to show a hand guarding a place.

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 衛; 卫 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

韋

韋wéi衛wèi

Same sound today

The traditional form 衛 is built from 行 as the sense part and 韋 as the sound part; the simplified 卫 is a shorthand.

Appears in

Military & Defense 5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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