兵 bīng soldier
soldier; troops; soldiers
How it came to be
Two hands raised under an axe, holding it up with both. The character drew the weapon and the grip on it long before it drew the man: a soldier is whoever holds that.
How it is used
- Means soldier/troops - 士兵 (shìbīng) rank-and-file soldier; 当兵 (dāngbīng) to serve as a soldier; 官兵 (guānbīng) officers and men.
- Also 'military/warfare' in the abstract: 纸上谈兵 (zhǐshàng-tánbīng) 'discuss warfare on paper' - armchair theorizing. It's the chess piece 兵 (pawn) too.
Characters built with 兵
Words with 兵
Example sentences
- 《孙子兵法》是一本很有名的书。 《Sūnzi Bīngfǎ》 shì yī běn hěn yǒumíngde shū.The Art of War is a very famous book.
- 士兵在执行一项任务。 Shìbīng zài zhíxíng yī xiàng rènwu.The soldiers are on a mission.