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武器 (wǔ qì) — weapon; arms

Definition

武器 (wǔqì) is the standard, neutral word for 'weapon' or 'arms' — both modern and historical, concrete objects. 武装 also means weapons but emphasizes armed forces or arming (as a verb); 武力 is force/might, not a physical weapon.

noun
weaponarms
Measure word · 种

Examples

  • 武器。
    Zhè zhǒng wǔ qì de wēi lì fēi cháng dà.
    This kind of weapon is very powerful.
  • 。
    Guó jiā jìn zhǐ shǐ yòng huà xué wǔ qì.
    The country prohibits the use of chemical weapons.
  • 武器。
    Gǔ dài wǔ qì zhǔ yào shì dāo hé gōng jiàn.
    Ancient weapons were mainly swords and bows.

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.

武wǔmartial
器qìimplement

“武” refers to martial matters, and “器” refers to an implement, giving a tool used in fighting.

Characters in this word

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

武 puts 戈 (dagger-axe) above 止 (foot/to walk), showing an army going on an expedition.

Open 武 →

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

The origin of 器 is uncertain; one traditional account reads the whole shape as a scene of guarding over four vessels.

Open 器 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 51000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsMilitary & Defense2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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