TongTong
Sign in

尖兵 (jiān bīng) — trailblazer; pioneer; vanguard

Definition

Literally 'point soldier,' 尖兵 figuratively means a vanguard or pioneer — the first person or group to push into new territory, in technology, reform, or competition. Carries a strong sense of leading the way, not just being early.

noun
trailblazerpioneervanguard
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 尖兵。
    Tā zài kē jì lǐng yù shì yí wèi zhēn zhèng de jiān bīng.
    He is a true trailblazer in the field of technology.
  • 尖兵。
    Zhè xiē gǎi gé jiān bīng wèi shè huì fā zhǎn zuò chū le jù dà gòng xiàn.
    These pioneers of reform have made great contributions to social development.
  • 尖兵，。
    Wǒ men de tuán duì shì háng yè zhōng de jiān bīng, bú duàn tuī chū xīn chǎn pǐn.
    Our team is the vanguard in the industry, constantly launching new products.

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.

尖jiānpointed tip/front
兵bīngsoldier

尖 refers to a pointed tip and 兵 to a soldier, giving the leading soldier.

Characters in this word

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

尖 puts 小 (small) above 大 (large), showing the width of an object gradually changing from small to large.

Open 尖 →

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

  • 斤斤jīna short axe
  • 廾廾gǒng2 hands

兵 combines 斤, a short axe, with 廾, two hands, showing a pair of hands holding a weapon.

Open 兵 →
Appears in
Military & Defense

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.