阵前 (zhèn qián) — on the battlefield; at the front line

Definition

noun

on the battlefieldat the front line

阵前。
Zhàn shì men yǒng měng dì chōng xiàng zhèn qián.
The soldiers bravely charged towards the battlefield front.
阵前，。
zhèn qián Shàng xiāo yān mí màn, zhàn gǔ zhèn tiān.
On the battlefield, gunpowder smoke filled the air and war drums shook the sky.
阵前。
Jiāng jūn qīn zì lái dào zhèn qián zhǐ huī zuò zhàn.
The general personally came to the battlefield front to command the battle.

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.

阵zhènbattle array

阵 gives battle array and 前 gives front, so the front line.

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 陣; 阵 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 陣, a left-side part was added to a shortened 東; the older shape also used 攴. The simplified 阵 is a later shorthand.

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

In the older form of 前, 止 (foot) and 舟 (boat) showed a foot on a boat moving forward; in the current 前 those parts are shortened.