门将 (mén jiàng) — goalkeeper, goalie (in sports such as soccer, handball, etc.)

Definition

noun
goalkeepergoalie (in sports such as soccer, handball, etc.)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 门将。
    Tā zài zú qiú bǐ sài zhōng dān rèn mén jiàng.
    He serves as the goalkeeper in soccer matches.
  • 门将。
    Shǒu qiú duì de mén jiàng shēn gāo liǎng mǐ duō.
    The handball team's goalkeeper is over two meters tall.
  • ，门将。
    Xùn liàn zhōng, mén jiàng xū yào kuài sù fǎn yìng.
    During training, goalkeepers need quick reflexes.

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.

门méngoal
将jiānggeneral

门 refers to the goal, while 将 means general, so the word pictures the general guarding the goal.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 門; 门 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 門 pictures a gate as two door shapes side by side; the simplified 门 is a later shorthand.

Open 门 →

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
⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat
寸寸cùnhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
爿
爿pán將jiāng
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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