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海军 (hǎi jūn) — navy

Definition

The naval branch of the military (ships, sailors). Contrast with 空军 (air force) by domain (sea vs air), and with 军舰 (a single warship) by unit (the whole force vs one vessel).

noun
navy
Measure word · 支

Examples

  • 海军。
    Tā dà xué bì yè hòu jiā rù le hǎi jūn.
    After graduating from college, he joined the navy.
  • 海军。
    hǎi jūn De shì bīng měi tiān jìn xíng yán gé de xùn liàn.
    The sailors in the navy undergo strict training every day.
  • 海军。
    Tā fù qīn céng jīng zài hǎi jūn dāng jūn guān.
    His father once served as an officer in the navy.

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.

海hǎisea
军jūnmilitary force

“海” is sea and “军” is military force, so together they mean the naval 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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
每
每měi海hǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

海 pairs 氵 (water) with 每, which gives the sound. The 氵 side shows it is about water.

Open 海 →

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 →
Appears in
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