[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Society-and-Culture \ #Politics-and-Military # 兵 bīng military; soldier ## Components [[八 (bā)]] [[八 bā]] [[一 yī]] [[一 (yī)]] [[丘 qiū]] ## Meaning In modern Chinese, the character "兵" (bīng) has the following meanings: 1. **Soldier**: Referring to an individual serving in the military. 2. **Troops/Army**: Referring to a group of soldiers or military forces. 3. **Military**: Referring to military-related matters or affairs. For example: - 士兵 (shìbīng): Soldier - 军队 (jūnduì): Army, troops - 军事 (jūnshì): Military, military affairs - 兵器 (bīngqì): Weaponry, arms - 兵力 (bīnglì): Military strength, armed forces ## History The character "兵" (bīng) evolved from an image of a person wielding a short axe, representing a soldier defending the country. In its oracle bone script form, the upper part of the character resembles the character "斤" (jin), which represents a short axe, while the lower part "廾" (gǒng) symbolizes two hands. Therefore, the original meaning of "兵" is weaponry or arms. Over time, it extended to refer to soldiers, troops, and military forces, becoming a general term for military-related matters. Soldiers and armies ensure the security and prosperity of our nation. As a compound ideogram, the character "兵" depicts a person holding a weapon with both hands, representing weaponry. Its original meaning is "weapon." Later, it extended to mean "soldier" or "army." ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[兵 ora.svg]] ### Bronze Script ![[兵 bronce.svg]] ### Seal Script ![[兵 seal.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[兵 cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[兵 reg.svg]]