开拔 (kāi bá) — (military) to move out, to set out, to march off

Definition

A formal military term for troops moving out / setting off on a march — heard in news or historical writing, not daily speech.

verb
(military) to move outto set outto march off

Examples

  • 开拔，。
    Bù duì líng chén sān diǎn kāi bá, xiàng shān qū jìn fā.
    The troops moved out at three in the morning, heading toward the mountain area.
  • ，开拔。
    Jiē dào mìng lìng hòu, jūn duì lì jí kāi bá.
    After receiving the order, the army immediately set out.
  • 开拔，。
    Zhè zhī duì wu míng tiān jiù yào kāi bá le, dà jiā dōu zài zhǔn bèi.
    This unit is going to march off tomorrow, and everyone is preparing.

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.

开kāiset out
拔bápull up

开, set out, and 拔, pull up, both describe leaving camp, so together mean march off.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 開; 开 is its simplified writing.

  • 門門méndoor
  • 一一yīlatch and/or wooden pole that shuts a door
  • 廾廾gǒnga pair of hands

The traditional form 開 shows 廾, a pair of hands, and 一, a latch or pole, inside 門, a door: hands opening a latched door. The simplified 开 is a shorthand form, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 开 →

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
犮
犮bá拔bá
Same sound today

In 拔, the left side 扌 is a hand and the right side 犮 gives the sound; the shape pictures a hand pulling.

Open 拔 →

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