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禁运 (jìn yùn) — to impose an embargo (on); to embargo

Definition

Formal/governmental term meaning 'to impose an embargo' (banning trade with a country or on certain goods). Used in news, diplomacy, and policy writing — not everyday speech.

verb
to impose an embargo (on)to embargo

Examples

  • 禁运。
    Nà ge guó jiā bèi lián hé guó jìn yùn le.
    That country has been placed under a UN embargo.
  • 禁运。
    Zhèng fǔ jué dìng duì shí yóu chū kǒu shí xíng jìn yùn.
    The government decided to impose an embargo on oil exports.
  • 禁运，。
    Yīn wèi jìn yùn, hěn duō shāng pǐn dōu yùn bú jìn lái.
    Because of the embargo, many goods cannot be shipped in.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

禁jìnforbid
运yùntransport; trade

禁 means to forbid and 运 means transport or trade, so the word means to embargo.

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
示示shìaltar
Sound part声符shēngfú
林
林lín禁jìn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

禁 has 林 above 示, an altar. The 林 part gives the sound, and the altar part connects the character to taboo or restricted matters.

Open 禁 →

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 運; 运 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòmotion
Sound part声符shēngfú
軍
軍jūn運yùn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 運 combines 辵, meaning motion, with 軍 to give the sound; the simplified 运 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 运 →
Appears in
Economy & Trade

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