正规军 (zhèng guī jūn) — regular army

Definition

A 'regular army' — the official, state-organized military, contrasted with irregular forces like guerrillas or militias (游击队, 民兵). It implies formal training, structure, and recognition by the state.

noun
regular army
Measure word · 支

Examples

  • 正规军。
    Tā céng jīng shì zhèng guī jūn de yì míng shì bīng.
    He used to be a soldier in the regular army.
  • 正规军。
    zhèng guī jūn De zhàn dòu lì bǐ yóu jī duì gèng qiáng.
    The regular army is more combat effective than the guerrilla forces.
  • ，正规军。
    Zhè zhī jūn duì jīng guò xùn liàn, yǐ jīng biàn chéng le zhèng guī jūn.
    This army has been trained and has become a regular army.

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.

正规regular/proper
正zhèngproper规guīrule
偏正Modifier + head
军jūnarmy

"正规" means proper or standard, and "军" means army, so it describes an army that follows proper standards.

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
止止zhǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng正zhèng
Same sound today

正 pairs 止 with 丁; 止 marks the sense and 丁 gives the sound.

Open 正 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 規; 规 is its simplified writing.

  • 夫夫fūhusband
  • 見見jiànsee

The simplified 规 is a shorthand; the traditional form 規 shows a cross-shaped compass in its early drawing, and its later form uses 夫 and 見.

Open 规 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 軍; 军 is its simplified writing.

  • 車車jūcart; chariot
  • 勹勹bāoto surround

In the traditional form 軍, 車 shows the chariot sense, while the part now written 勹 is a sound part, not the 'surround' 勹. Simplified 军 is a later shorthand.

Open 军 →

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