阵 zhèn row
row; column; burst; spell
How to remember 阵: 阝 mound + 车 car = row. From the top of the grassy mound above the festival field, the attendant waves each car in and notes its row on a ticket.
Component breakdown
阵 = 阝 mound + 车 car
- 阝 mound
- 车 car
From the top of the grassy mound above the festival field, the attendant waves each car in and notes its row on a ticket.
How it is used
- Its everyday job is as a measure word for something arriving in a sudden, passing burst: 一阵雨 (yí zhèn yǔ) "a passing shower," 一阵疼痛 (yí zhèn téngtòng) "a spell of pain," 一阵笑声 "a burst of laughter."
- 阵容 zhènróng is the word for a lineup (team, cast), and 阵营 zhènyíng is a camp or faction in a conflict or debate - both figurative extensions of "battle formation."