少佐 (shǎo zuǒ) — (military rank) major (Japanese armed forces)

Definition

Japanese military rank equivalent to a major, used in historical contexts about Japan (e.g. WWII). This Sino-Japanese term will mostly appear in translated historical texts, not modern Chinese military usage.

noun
(military rank) major (Japanese armed forces)
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 少佐。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng jiǎng de shì yí gè shǎo zuǒ de gù shi.
    This movie tells the story of a major.
  • 少佐。
    Nà wèi shǎo zuǒ zài zhàn zhēng zhōng shī qù le hěn duō zhàn yǒu.
    That major lost many comrades in the war.
  • 少佐。
    Lì shǐ shū shàng jì zǎi le zhè wèi shǎo zuǒ de shì jì.
    The history book records the deeds of this major.

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.

少shǎojunior
佐zuǒassistant officer

“少” means junior, and “佐” refers to an assistant officer, together naming a major rank.

Characters in this word

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

The form 少 is drawn as four dots, perhaps three grains of sand, to indicate a few or a little.

Open 少 →

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
左
左zuǒ佐zuǒ
Same sound today

佐 combines 亻, a person, with 左, which provides the sound zuǒ.

Open 佐 →

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