Character of the Day

Bīng. This one is always useful. It means soldier, weapon, army, or military strategy. It is comprised of gǒng (廾) on the bottom, representing two hands, and jīn (斤) on the top, meaning axe. Let’s look at some combinations.

卫兵 – wèibīng means guard
红卫兵 – hóngwèibīng means Red Guard
老兵 – lǎobīng means veteran
新兵 – xīnbīng means recruit
炮兵 – pàobīng means artillery
士兵 – shìbīng means soldiers (rank and file)
撤兵 – chèbīng means to withdraw troops
当兵 – dāngbīng means to serve in the military
佣兵 – yōngbīng means mercenary
宪兵 – xiànbīng means military police
征兵 – zhēngbīng means conscription, draft, or to conscript
兵力 – bīnglì means military strength
兵马 – bīngmǎ means military forces
兵马俑 – bīngmǎyǒng means terracotta warriors
兵刃 – bīngrèn means weapons
兵戎 – bīngróng means weapons as well
兵役 – bīngyì means military service
兵变 – bīngbiàn means mutiny
兵法 – bīngfǎ means the art of war or military tactics
兵营 – bīngyíng means military camp or barracks

So, there you have it.