教导员 (jiào dǎo yuán) — (military) political instructor (at battalion level)

Definition

A military term: the political instructor (political commissar) assigned at roughly the battalion level in the PLA. Pairs with the commanding officer (连长/营长) — the officer handles military command while 教导员 handles political and ideological work.

noun
(military) political instructor (at battalion level)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 教导员。
    jiào dǎo yuán Zhèng zài gěi shì bīng men zuò sī xiǎng gōng zuò.
    The political instructor is doing ideological work with the soldiers.
  • 教导员。
    Zhè wèi jiào dǎo yuán zài bù duì lǐ hěn yǒu wēi xìn.
    This political instructor has great authority in the unit.
  • 教导员。
    Lián zhǎng hé jiào dǎo yuán yì qǐ tǎo lùn le xùn liàn jì huà.
    The company commander and the political instructor discussed the training plan together.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

教导teach and guide
教jiàoteach导dǎoguide
联合Side by side
员yuánperson

教导 covers teaching and guiding, and 员 identifies a person, so the word names an instructor.

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
子子zǐchild
攵Written in full as攴pūteaching cane; stick that represents authority
Sound part声符shēngfú
爻
爻yáo教jiào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

教 uses 爻 for its sound and puts 子 (child) with 攵 (攴), a teaching cane, to show teaching a child.

Open 教 →

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 導; 导 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
寸寸cùnhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
道
道dào導
Same sound today

The traditional form 導 pairs 道 (path) as the sound part with 寸 (hand), giving the sense of leading someone. The simplified 导 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 导 →

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 員; 员 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
鼎鼎dǐngding
Sound part声符shēngfú
〇
〇líng員yuán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 員, 〇 supplies the sound and 鼎 supplies the meaning; the simplified 员 is a shortened form.

Open 员 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.