军官

jūn guān · HSK 7

officer (military)

🎖️ 军官 = 军 (army) + 官 (official) = military officer

军 means army or military and 官 means official or officer. Stack them: an official of the army. The same 官 shows up in 官员 (official) and 法官 (judge).

官 — roof 宀 + mound/many 㠯
Originally a pictograph showing a building (roof 宀) over stacked mounds or seats (㠯), depicting an official residence or government office. The meaning extended from the building itself to the officials who worked there, and then broadly to 'official' or 'government.'

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