巡逻 (xún luó) — to patrol

Definition

巡逻 is a regular, repeated sweep of a route (guards, soldiers, police) to watch or guard. 巡视 is a one-time official inspection or survey, not an ongoing beat.

verb
to patrol

Examples

  • 巡逻。
    Bǎo ān měi tiān zài xiǎo qū lǐ xún luó.
    The security guards patrol the neighborhood every day.
  • 巡逻。
    Shì bīng zài biān jìng xiàn shàng xún luó.
    The soldiers patrol the border line.
  • 巡逻。
    Tā men měi tiān lún liú xún luó liǎng cì.
    They take turns patrolling twice a day.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

巡xúnpatrol
逻luópatrol

巡 (patrol) and 逻 (patrol) combine to mean moving around to watch.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
川
川chuān巡xún
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

巡 pairs 辵, a walking part, with 川 as a sound part.

Open 巡 →

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 邏; 逻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
羅
羅luó邏luó
Same sound today

The traditional form 邏 combines 辶, meaning walk, with 羅 for the sound; the simplified 逻 is a later shorthand.

Open 逻 →

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