运动健将 (yùn dòng jiàn jiāng) — master of sports (official title for high-achieving athletes); sportsmaster

Definition

运动健将 is the official PRC title for an elite athlete — stronger than 运动员 (any athlete) and awarded by the state for top results.

noun
master of sports (official title for high-achieving athletes)sportsmaster

Examples

  • 运动健将
    Tā shì yí wèi guó jiā jí de yùn dòng jiàn jiāng.
    He is a national-level master of sports.
  • 运动健将
    Zhǐ yǒu chéng jì yōu yì de yùn dòng yuán cái néng bèi píng wéi yùn dòng jiàn jiāng.
    Only athletes with outstanding results can be rated as masters of sports.
  • 运动健将
    Zhè wèi yùn dòng jiàn jiāng zài ào yùn huì shàng huò dé le jīn pái.
    This master of sports won a gold medal at the Olympics.

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.

运动sports
联合Coordinate
健将strong general
jiànstrongjiānggeneral
偏正Modifier + head

运动 as sports and 健将 as a strong 将 describe an outstanding athlete.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 運; 运 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
chuòmotion
Sound part声符shēngfú
jūnyùn
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 →

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 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
strength
Sound part声符shēngfú
zhòngdòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →

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
Written in full asrénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
jiànjiàn
Same sound today

The left part 亻 depicts a person, and the right part 建 gives the sound.

Open 健 →

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 將; 将 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Written in full asròumeat
cùnhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
pánjiāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 將 combines 爿, which also supplies a sound and may show a small table, with ⺼ (meat) and 寸 (hand) to picture offering meat as tribute. The simplified 将 is a later shorthand.

Open 将 →

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