站岗 (zhàn gǎng) — to stand guard, to be on sentry duty

Definition

站岗 (zhàn gǎng) is a separable verb meaning 'to stand guard' — a military or security post. The 岗 can detach from 站, e.g. 站了两个小时的岗.

verb

to stand guardto be on sentry duty

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

站 (stand) and 岗 (post) combine to mean stand guard at a post.

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.

立占站

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

占

Same sound today

站 has 立 on the left and 占 on the right; 立 relates to standing, and 占 gives the sound.

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 崗; 岗 is its simplified writing.

山岡崗

Meaning part形符xíngfú

山山shānmountain

Sound part声符shēngfú

岡

岡gāng崗gǎng

Same sound today

The traditional form 崗 uses 山 to show a hill or mountain and 岡 to carry the sound; the simplified 岗 is a later shorthand.

Appears in