陸軍 / 陆军
lùjūn
In Chinese, the word for army can be expressed as 陸軍 / 陆军 (lùjūn) or 軍隊 / 军队.
Meaning: military force concerned mainly with ground operations (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 陸軍 / 陆军 | lùjūn |
| 軍隊 / 军队 | jūnduì |
The term is used to describe military forces. You can use it either to refer specifically to ground-based operations or as a general term for the armed forces.
What does it mean word for word?
陸軍 / 陆军 literally means "land army", combining 陸 (land) and 軍 (army/military). 軍隊 / 军队 means "military force/unit", combining 軍 (military) and 隊 (unit/troop/formation).
Which one should you use?
陸軍 / 陆军 is a specific term used when referring to the branch of the military that operates on land. In contrast, 軍隊 / 军队 is a general term for the military or armed forces, which may include the navy, air force and army.
How do you pronounce it?
lùjūn
Did you know?
- The character 軍 originally depicted a chariot with a banner, reflecting the ancient Chinese military's reliance on war chariots rather than infantry.
- In modern Chinese, the term 軍隊 / 军队 can be used metaphorically to describe a large, highly disciplined group of non-soldiers, such as a team of professional athletes or a corporate task force.
- The character 隊 / 队 in 軍隊 / 军队 is also used to describe a simple 'queue' or 'line' of people waiting for a bus, reflecting its origin as a term for a formation.
Examples in context
- 中国军队非常强大。The Chinese army is very strong.
- 我弟弟在军队里服役。My younger brother is serving in the army.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “army” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
