应战 (yìng zhàn) — to meet an enemy attack; to accept a challenge | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literary/formal verb meaning 'to meet an attack' or 'to take on a challenge.' In everyday speech, 接受挑战 or 迎战 is more common than 应战.

verb

to meet an enemy attackto accept a challenge

Examples

，应战。
Miàn duì dí rén de jìn gōng, wǒ men bì xū yǒng gǎn yìng zhàn.
Facing the enemy's attack, we must respond bravely.
，，应战。
Zhè cì guó jì bǐ sài, tā yǐ jīng zhǔn bèi le hěn jiǔ, jué dìng yìng zhàn.
For this international competition, he has prepared for a long time and decided to accept the challenge.
，。
Tā yǐ jīng yìng guò yí cì zhàn le, jīng yàn fēng fù.
He has already taken on a challenge once before and is very experienced.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

应yìngrespond

应 (respond) + 战 (battle) means to answer a challenge.

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 應; 应 is its simplified writing.

䧹心應

Meaning part形符xíngfú

心心xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

䧹

䧹䧹應yìng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 應 pairs 心 (heart) with 䧹 as a sound part; the simplified 应 is a later shorthand and its parts are not the original components.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

占戈战

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

占

占zhàn战zhàn

Same sound today

战 pairs 占, which gives its sound, with 戈, a weapon.

Appears in

Conflict & Agreement Military & Defense

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