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军
army; military
jūn
6 strokes · 冖 (cover) + 车 (chariot) — chariots under one command · HSK 3
Where 军 comes from
War chariots (车) gathered under a covering (冖): an encircled camp of chariots is an army. The character is a bird's-eye view of a military encampment.
军 in Chinese culture
军人 soldier, 空军 air force, 海军 navy. In Chinese chess the endgame cry 将军 'General!' is the ancestor of 'check'. 冠军 champion — originally 'crowning the army', the best of the best.
Example
军人 jūnrén — soldier
他哥哥是军人。
Tā gēge shì jūnrén.
His older brother is a soldier.
How to remember it
CHARIOTS parked under one ROOF — an ARMY in camp.
冠军 'champion' literally means 'crown of the army' — sports champions still wear a military metaphor.
Same sound, different tones
Words unlocked by 军
军人 jūnrén
soldier
冠军 guànjūn
champion
Related characters
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