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将军 (jiāng jūn) — general, high-ranking military officer

Definition

将 (jiāng) here is a title meaning 'general' — a high-ranking military commander. It is not the verb 'to checkmate / put sb on the spot' seen in chess (象棋); ignore those senses at HSK 6.

noun
generalhigh-ranking military officer
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 将军。。
    Zhè wèi jiāng jūn zhǐ huī le sān cì zhòng yào de zhàn dòu. sān cì zhòng yào de zhàn dòu.
    This general commanded three important battles.
  • 将军。
    Lì shǐ shàng hěn duō jiāng jūn dōu chū zì zhè suǒ xué xiào.
    Many generals in history graduated from this school.
  • 将军。
    Nà wèi jiāng jūn zài yuè bīng shì shàng shòu dào le biǎo zhāng.
    That general was commended at the military parade.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

将jiānglead
军jūnarmy

将 'lead' plus 军 'army' names one who commands troops.

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 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 →
Appears in
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