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警察 (jǐng chá) — police officer; police

Definition

The everyday word for 'police' or a 'police officer'. 公安 is the more formal/official term for China's public security authorities; 交警 specifically means traffic police.

noun
police officerpolice
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 警察。
    Tā shì yì míng jǐng chá.
    He is a police officer.
  • 警察。
    Nà ge jǐng chá zài kān hù zhào.
    That police officer is looking at a passport.
  • 警察。
    Yù dào huài rén shí yīng gāi zhǎo jǐng chá.
    When you encounter a bad person, you should find a police officer.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

警jǐngpolice
察cháinspection

The 警 refers to police and the 察 to inspection.

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
言言yánspoken language, speech
Sound part声符shēngfú
敬
敬jìng警
Same sound today

警 places 言 (speech) below 敬; 敬 gives the sound.

Open 警 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
祭
祭jì察chá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape 察 combines 宀, a roof, with 祭 as the sound part.

Open 察 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4500 Most Frequent Chinese WordsHSK 2.0 Level 41000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsCrime & Police2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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