官兵

• Pinyin: guān bīng
• Hanzi breakdown: 官 = 宀 + 㠯 (official dwelling/authority); 兵 = 斤 + 廾 (axe held in two hands — weapons/soldiers)

Meaning

Officers and soldiers; military personnel collectively. Refers to both commissioned officers and enlisted troops as a unified group.

A collective term used in military, official, and news contexts. Common in formal reports about military operations, disaster relief missions, and historical narratives. Implies the full complement of a military unit.

Examples

1. 灾区官兵连续奋战七十二小时，终于完成了救援任务。 Officers and soldiers in the disaster zone fought nonstop for seventy-two hours and finally completed the rescue mission.
2. 部队官兵在严寒中坚守边疆，保卫国家领土安全。 The troops stand guard on the frontier in bitter cold, protecting the country’s territorial security.
3. 这支部队的官兵来自全国各地，共同肩负着保家卫国的使命。 The officers and soldiers in this unit come from all over the country, sharing the mission of defending the homeland.

Usage Guide

Context: military, news, government

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 全体官兵严阵以待，随时准备执行任务。(All officers and soldiers are on full alert, ready to carry out their mission at any time.)
• 这次抗洪救灾中，官兵们展现出了顽强的战斗精神。(During this flood relief effort, the troops demonstrated a tenacious fighting spirit.)

Don't Say

• 我和几个官兵一起吃饭 — use 战士 or 士兵 for individual soldiers in informal contexts; 官兵 is a collective formal term

Origin & History

官 (official, officer) + 兵 (soldier, troops). The compound encompasses the full hierarchy from commanding officers to ordinary soldiers.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal