noun / verb HSK 5
war · battle · to fight · to rely on
Meaning
仗 primarily means 'battle' or 'war' and can also mean 'to fight' or 'to rely on/depend on'. It often appears in compound words related to military conflict or in the pattern 仗着 (zhàng zhe) meaning 'relying on' or 'counting on' something.
Usage
Most commonly used in set phrases like 打仗 (to fight a war), 仗着 (relying on), or 战仗 (battle). As a standalone character, it's more literary; in everyday speech, people typically use compound forms. The 'rely on' meaning appears in expressions like 仗义 (acting righteously/loyally).
Examples
- 01他们国家已经打了三年仗了。.Their country has been fighting a war for three years already.
- 02他仗着父亲是老板就欺负别人。.He bullies others relying on the fact that his father is the boss.
Measure words
- 场打了一场仗
Common collocations
- 打仗to fight a war
- 仗着relying on, based on
- 胜仗victorious battle
- 败仗lost battle, defeat
Antonyms
Origin
The character combines 人 (person) with 丈 (a measure of length, also 'husband/man'). The association with warfare comes from the idea of a person with a long weapon or staff.