战国 (zhàn guó) — Warring States period (475–221 BC)

Definition

The Warring States period (475–221 BC), the late Zhou-era era of constant warfare that ended when Qin unified China. Functions as a set historical name — always read as one unit, never parsed word-by-word.

noun
Warring States period (475–221 BC)

Examples

  • 战国。
    zhàn guó Shí qī shì zhōng guó lì shǐ shàng yí gè zhòng yào de jiē duàn.
    The Warring States period was an important stage in Chinese history.
  • 战国。
    zhàn guó Qī xióng zhī jiān jīng cháng fā shēng zhàn zhēng.
    Wars often occurred among the seven warring states.
  • 战国。
    Xǔ duō zhù míng de sī xiǎng jiā dōu shēng huó zài zhàn guó shí qī.
    Many famous thinkers lived during the Warring States period.

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.

战zhànwar
国guóstate

战 means war and 国 means state, so 战国 denotes a warring state.

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
戈戈gē
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn战zhàn
Same sound today

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

Open 战 →

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 國; 国 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
囗囗wéiclosure
Sound part声符shēngfú
或
或huò國guó
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 國 uses 囗 to show closure and 或 to give the sound.

Open 国 →

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