TongTong
Sign in

警惕 (jǐng tì) — to be on guard against; to watch out for (potential danger or threat)

Definition

An INTRANSITIVE verb meaning 'to be vigilant / on guard against' a hidden danger — the subject itself stays watchful, unlike 警告 or 告诫 where someone warns another person.

verb
to be on guard againstto watch out for (potential danger or threat)

Examples

  • 警惕。
    Chū mén zài wài yào jǐng tì mò shēng rén.
    When you're out, you should be on guard against strangers.
  • 警惕。
    Wǒ men bì xū jǐng tì wǎng luò zhà piàn.
    We must watch out for online scams.
  • 警惕。
    Tā duì zhōu wéi de huán jìng gāo dù jǐng tì.
    He was highly vigilant about his surroundings.

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jǐngalert/warn
惕tìcautious/wary

警 and 惕 both carry the sense of being alert, giving the idea of staying watchful against danger.

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
忄Written in full as心xīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
易
易yì惕tì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

惕 is built from 忄, the heart form 心, which points to a mental state, and 易, which supplies the sound.

Open 惕 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Safety & Danger

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.