进关 (jìn guān) — to enter a pass (mountain pass, border checkpoint, or customs)

Definition

进关 means to pass through a checkpoint or customs — entering a guarded border, mountain pass, or customs gate where goods and documents are inspected.

verb
to enter a pass (mountain pass, border checkpoint, or customs)

Examples

  • 进关。
    Tā men huā le sān tiān shí jiān cái jìn guān.
    It took them three days to enter the pass.
  • ，。
    Shāng duì jìn le yí cì guān, huò wù jiù bèi jiǎn chá le.
    The caravan entered the pass once, and the goods were inspected.
  • 进关。
    Gǔ dài shāng rén jìn guān xū yào chū shì wén shū.
    In ancient times, merchants needed to present documents to enter the pass.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

进jìnenter
关guānpass

进 means entering, and 关 names the pass or checkpoint that is entered.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 進; 进 is its simplified writing.

  • 辵辵chuòwalk
  • 隹隹zhuīshort-tail bird

The traditional form 進 pairs 辵 (walk) with 隹 (short-tail bird): the picture showed moving forward because a bird can only walk forward, not backward. The simplified 进 is a later shorthand.

Open 进 →

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 關; 关 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
門門méndoor
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢇅
𢇅𢇅關guān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 关, the traditional form 關 shows 門 as a door and 𢇅 as two wooden sticks locking it, with ring-like marks on top.

Open 关 →

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