阵

• Pinyin: zhèn
• Hanzi breakdown: 阵 = 阜 (mound/hill radical) + 车 (cart/chariot), originally a military formation arranged on terrain

Meaning

A measure word for spells or bouts of something — typically wind, rain, pain, laughter, or applause. Also means a battle formation or a period of time.

As a measure word, 阵 quantifies things that come in bursts or waves: 一阵风 (a gust of wind), 一阵掌声 (a round of applause), 一阵疼痛 (a bout of pain). It can also be used as a noun meaning a military formation (阵地 = position/front line) or the duration of a wave of activity.

Examples

1. 演讲结束后，台下响起了一阵热烈的掌声。 After the speech ended, a round of enthusiastic applause broke out from the audience below.
2. 刚才突然刮来一阵大风，把桌上的文件吹散了。 A sudden strong gust of wind just now scattered the documents on the table.
3. 他突然感到一阵头晕，不得不坐下来休息。 He suddenly felt a spell of dizziness and had to sit down and rest.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, description, weather

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 外面突然下起了一阵大雨。(Outside it suddenly started raining heavily for a while.)
• 听到这个消息，她忍不住笑了一阵。(On hearing the news, she couldn't help laughing for a while.)

Don't Say

• 用'阵'来量化可以计数的具体物品 (Don't use 阵 to count specific countable objects — it is only used for bursts, waves, or spells of phenomena like wind, sound, or sensation)

Origin & History

Originally depicted military formations arranged in rows (陈列). The character 阵 combines 阜 (mound/hill, suggesting terrain) with 车 (cart/chariot), evoking troops arranged in battle order. The measure-word usage developed from the idea of waves of troops advancing.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal