Meaning of 阵
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- disposition of troops
- wave
- spate
- burst
- spell
- short period of time
- classifier for events or states of short duration
How to use 阵
As a measure word, 阵 counts things that come in short bursts, like wind, rain, laughter, or applause. It also appears in military words such as 阵地 (zhèndì) and 阵亡 (zhènwáng). Example: 外面下了一阵雨。(Wàimiàn xià le yí zhèn yǔ.) It rained for a while outside.
The left part 阝 looks like a hillside, and 车 (chē) is a chariot. Picture chariots lined up along a hill in battle formation, then rushing past in a sudden wave.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes use 阵 for events that last a long time or happen at a fixed moment. It suits short, sudden spells like 一阵风 (yí zhèn fēng), so do not say 一阵会议 for a meeting. Also watch the shape: the left side is 阝, not 车 written twice, and it differs from 连 (lián), which uses 辶.
阵 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
阵 zhèn · disposition of troops · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 阵.
| 一阵 | yīzhèn | a burst; a fit |
| 阵营 | zhènyíng | group of people; camp |
| 阵容 | zhènróng | troop arrangement; battle formation |
| 一阵子 | yīzhènzi | a while; a spell |
| 阵亡 | zhènwáng | to die in battle |
| 阵地 | zhèndì | (military) position; front |
| 对阵 | duìzhèn | (of armies) to face each other, ready for battle; (sports) (of two teams) to play against |
| 阵线 | zhènxiàn | a front (militant group); line of battle |
| 阵子 | zhènzi | period of time |
| 这阵子 | zhèzhènzi | now; at present |
| 上阵 | shàngzhèn | to go into battle |
| 阵型 | zhènxíng | formation (of a sports team, troops etc) |
Questions about 阵
What does 阵 mean?
阵 (zhèn) means "disposition of troops; wave" and is used as a measure word.
How do you write 阵?
阵 is made of 1 character: 阵 (6 strokes). That is 6 strokes in total.
Is 阵 an HSK word?
Yes. 阵 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 阵 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 阵 is written 陣.
What is the difference between 一阵 and 一阵子?
一阵 usually goes before a noun to describe a burst, as in 一阵掌声 (yí zhèn zhǎngshēng), a round of applause. 一阵子 (yízhènzi) is more colloquial and means a period of time, as in 我忙了一阵子, I was busy for a while.
Does the tone of 一 change in 一阵?
Yes. Because 阵 is fourth tone, 一 changes to second tone, so you say yí zhèn. Dictionaries often write the base form yīzhèn, but spoken Mandarin uses yí.