残兵败将 (cán bīng bài jiāng) — (chengyu) remnants of a routed army; (figurative) a defeated or demoralized group

Definition

A chengyu for the scattered survivors of a defeated army, used figuratively for any demoralized, beaten group (e.g. a losing team).

idiom
(chengyu) remnants of a routed army(figurative) a defeated or demoralized group

Examples

  • 残兵败将。
    Dí fāng zhī shèng xià yì xiē cán bīng bài jiāng zài fù yú wán kàng.
    The enemy only had a few stragglers left putting up a desperate fight.
  • ，残兵败将。
    Nà zhī qiú duì lián shū shí chǎng, yǐ jīng biàn chéng yì qún cán bīng bài jiāng le.
    That team has lost ten games in a row and has turned into a bunch of beaten players.
  • 残兵败将，。
    Suī rán wǒ men shì cán bīng bài jiāng, dàn shì qì bù néng dǎo.
    Even though we are the remnants of a defeated force, our morale must not collapse.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

残兵remnant soldiers
残cánremnant兵bīngsoldier
偏正Modifier + head
败将defeated generals
败bàidefeated将jiānggeneral
偏正Modifier + head

残兵 (remnant soldiers) and 败将 (defeated generals) combine to mean a broken defeated force.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 殘; 残 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
歹歹dǎivicious, bones
Sound part声符shēngfú
戔
戔jiān殘cán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 殘 pairs 歹, a bone shape for injury, with 戔 for its sound; the simplified 残 is a later shorthand.

Open 残 →

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

  • 斤斤jīna short axe
  • 廾廾gǒng2 hands

兵 combines 斤, a short axe, with 廾, two hands, showing a pair of hands holding a weapon.

Open 兵 →

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 敗; 败 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攵Written in full as攴pūstrike
Sound part声符shēngfú
貝
貝bèi敗bài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 敗 has 貝 as the sound component and 攴 (written 攵) meaning strike. The simplified 败 is a later abbreviation, so its parts are not the original components.

Open 败 →

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 將; 将 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat
寸寸cùnhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
爿
爿pán將jiāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 將 combines 爿, which also supplies a sound and may show a small table, with ⺼ (meat) and 寸 (hand) to picture offering meat as tribute. The simplified 将 is a later shorthand.

Open 将 →

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