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征程 (zhēng chéng) — long and arduous journey (often with a mission); (figurative) course of struggle; life's path of endeavor

Definition

征程 (zhēngchéng) is a formal, written word for a long, mission-driven journey — almost always used in elevated contexts like revolution, career, or life's struggle, not for ordinary trips.

noun
long and arduous journey (often with a mission)(figurative) course of strugglelife's path of endeavor

Examples

  • 征程，。
    Tā men tà shàng le xīn de zhēng chéng, mù biāo zhí zhǐ dà xī běi.
    They set out on a new journey, heading straight for the northwest.
  • 征程。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō miáo xiě le gé mìng zhě de jiān kǔ zhēng chéng.
    This novel portrays the revolutionary's arduous journey.
  • 征程。
    Gāo kǎo zhǐ shì rén shēng zhēng chéng zhōng de dì yī dào guān kǒu.
    The college entrance exam is just the first gateway on life's journey.

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.

征zhēngcampaign
程chéngroute

征 (campaign) shapes the 程 (route) as an arduous journey.

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 徵; 征 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 征 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (特征, 象征) it is 徵; in others it is 征.

The story is about the traditional form 徵. It originally meant punishment, from a picture of a knife with tooth-shaped protrusions on its back; later forms kept that sense.

Open 征 →

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
禾禾hégrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
呈
呈chéng程chéng
Same sound today

程 is made from 禾 (grain) and 呈 (pronounced chéng); the evidence gives measurements.

Open 程 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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