空军
kōngjūn
The English phrase "air force" is translated into Chinese as 空军 (kōngjūn).
空军 refers to the branch of the military devoted to air warfare.
Meaning: branch of the military devoted to air warfare (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 空 (kōng), meaning 'air' or 'empty' and 军 (jūn), meaning 'military' or 'army'.
How does it change in a sentence?
空军 is a noun and does not change its form for grammatical case or pluralization.
How do you pronounce it?
kōngjūn
Did you know?
- The character 空 in 空军 also means 'empty' or 'void'. This creates a linguistic link between the 'air force' and the Buddhist concept of 空 (Śūnyatā), which refers to the emptiness of all things.
- Chinese uses the same character 空 for 'air force' as it does for 'space' in 太空 (tàikōng). This means the same root describes both the atmosphere and the vacuum of the universe.
- While 空军 refers to the organization, the word for an 'airplane' is 飞机 (fēijī), which literally translates to 'flying machine'.
Examples in context
- 空军定期进行空中演习。The Air Force conducts aerial exercises regularly.
- 我弟弟在空军服役。My brother serves in the Air Force.
- 中国有一支强大的空军。China has a powerful Air Force.
- 他是空军的飞行员。Tā shì kōngjūn de fēixíngyuán.He is an air force pilot.
- 空军在保护领空。Kōngjūn zài bǎohù lǐngkōng.The air force is protecting the airspace.
- 我哥哥在空军服役。Wǒ gēge zài kōngjūn fúyì.My older brother serves in the air force.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their family members' careers.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你哥哥做什么工作？Nǐ gēge zuò shénme gōngzuò?What does your brother do for a living?
- 伟 Wei他在空军工作。Tā zài kōngjūn gōngzuò.He works in the air force.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那很酷啊！Nà hěn kù a!That is very cool!
- 伟 Wei是的，他很喜欢。Shì de, tā hěn xǐhuan.Yes, he likes it very much.
