<p>警 has the meaning of &quot;alert&quot;</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<p>警(alert) + 告 (announce; tell) = 警告 (warn)</p>
<p>警(alert) + 號( horn) = 警號 (siren)</p>
<ul>
<li><p>敬/Jìng/ is the phonic component of 警/Jǐng/. (<em>the meaning of 敬 itself is irreverent</em>)</p>
</li>
<li><p>言(words) is the semantic component of 警 (words are used to alert people)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>察 means notice; investigate</p>
<p>警察 (alert and investigate) is the job of the police, 警 means police when it is acting as a shorthand for 警察</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-28T11:49:02.493Z
many thanks indeed :)
George
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-28T09:28:27.387Z
2024-04-28T09:28:27.387Z
Tang Ho
<p>The character 警 is a typical 形声字。 There are some examples of 形声字 on the website <a href="https://m.sohu.com/a/242537780_534801/?pvid=000115_3w_a" rel="nofollow noreferrer">形声字</a></p>
<p>The meaning of 形 in 形声字 is the category (类别)， not the shape (形状)。 For example, 花 is in the category of 草。 The original meaning of 警 is a warning, which belongs to the category of 语言。</p>
<p>The meaning of 声 in 形声字 does not have to be the exact pronunciations (the same initial, the same final, and the same tone). For example, 警 is the tone 3 and 敬 is 4. Some times it just provides the same final. For example, 草 and 早 have the same final of ao.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-28T23:16:10.757Z
2024-04-29T02:02:33.180Z
2024-04-29T02:02:33.180Z
PdotWang
<p>I suggest familiarizing yourself with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_character_classification" rel="nofollow noreferrer">&quot;六書&quot;</a> - &quot;the six ways of making Chinese characters (in ancient times)&quot; or &quot;the six categories of Chinese characters&quot;. It includes 1. 象形(xiàngxíng; 'form imitation'), 2. 指事(zhǐshì; 'indication'), 3. 會意(huìyì; 'joined meaning'), 4. 假借(jiǎjiè; 'borrowing'), 5. 形声(xíngshēng; 'form and sound'), and 6. 转注(zhuǎn zhù; 'reciprocal meaning').</p>
<p>Piggyback on @dROOOze's comment:</p>
<p><strong>警</strong> belongs to the category of <strong>会意字</strong>. It is made up of the two characters &quot;<strong>敬</strong>&quot; and &quot;<strong>言</strong>&quot;, with &quot;<strong>戒敕/告诫(caution/admonish)</strong>&quot; as its original meaning. Note that the word &quot;敬&quot; has the meaning of &quot;谨慎(be prudent/discreet)&quot;, combined with &quot;言&quot;, the resulting word &quot;慎言&quot; implies caution, warning, and alerting.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-28T20:54:44.067Z
Characters (字) and character components (部件) are *not* words (詞). This is incredibly confusing terminology that will only lead to conceptual mistakes later down the line.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-05-02T09:28:58.933Z
Not really. The 會意 class means you can tell the meaning of the characters by just looking at them, such as 上 and 下. I would say 警 isn't in that category.
fat penguin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-05-02T16:23:12.433Z
@fatpenguin **會意字，是指用兩個及兩個以上的獨體漢字，根據各自的含義所組合成的一個新漢字** https://baike.baidu.hk/item/%E6%9C%83%E6%84%8F%E5%AD%97/7146699
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-28T16:59:05.133Z
2024-04-28T21:47:20.443Z
2024-04-28T21:47:20.443Z
r13
<p>One the most lingering questions in my Chinese journey - why a certain combination of radicals result in a particular word. Here is the strangest one = “police”  警 – how on earth =&gt; grass + a wrapped mouth + to knock + a speech -&gt; can be perceived all together as “police” ? Is there any logic ? or it is - as it is, just take it and nail into your memory board</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-28T09:15:32.723Z
You have it backwards. Spoken language came first, written language hints at spoken language. 警 hints at a spoken word **jǐng**, *to warn*, by using a similar-sounding character 敬 (**jìng**), and a meaning hint 言 (*speech*). **Characters are not made up of radicals**, radicals are dictionary headings for the sole purpose of organising characters under dictionaries, and have no other purpose.
dROOOze
<meaning>
why that combination of radicals 警 means - police?
# why that combination of radicals 警 means - police?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-04-28)

One the most lingering questions in my Chinese journey - why a certain combination of radicals result in a particular word. Here is the strangest one = “police” 警 – how on earth => grass + a wrapped mouth + to knock + a speech -> can be perceived all together as “police” ? Is there any logic ? or it is - as it is, just take it and nail into your memory board

**Tags:** meaning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: You have it backwards. Spoken language came first, written language hints at spoken language. 警 hints at a spoken word **jǐng**, *to warn*, by using a similar-sounding character 敬 (**jìng**), and a meaning hint 言 (*speech*). **Characters are not made up of radicals**, radicals are dictionary headings for the sole purpose of organising characters under dictionaries, and have no other purpose.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2024-04-28. Score: 3

警 has the meaning of "alert"

Example:

警(alert) + 告 (announce; tell) = 警告 (warn)

警(alert) + 號( horn) = 警號 (siren)

* 敬/Jìng/ is the phonic component of 警/Jǐng/. (*the meaning of 敬 itself is irreverent*)
* 言(words) is the semantic component of 警 (words are used to alert people)

察 means notice; investigate

警察 (alert and investigate) is the job of the police, 警 means police when it is acting as a shorthand for 警察

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: many thanks indeed :)  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2024-04-28. Score: 1

The character 警 is a typical 形声字。 There are some examples of 形声字 on the website [形声字](https://m.sohu.com/a/242537780_534801/?pvid=000115_3w_a)

The meaning of 形 in 形声字 is the category (类别)， not the shape (形状)。 For example, 花 is in the category of 草。 The original meaning of 警 is a warning, which belongs to the category of 语言。

The meaning of 声 in 形声字 does not have to be the exact pronunciations (the same initial, the same final, and the same tone). For example, 警 is the tone 3 and 敬 is 4. Some times it just provides the same final. For example, 草 and 早 have the same final of ao.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2024-04-28. Score: 0

I suggest familiarizing yourself with ["六書"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_character_classification) - "the six ways of making Chinese characters (in ancient times)" or "the six categories of Chinese characters". It includes 1. 象形(xiàngxíng; 'form imitation'), 2. 指事(zhǐshì; 'indication'), 3. 會意(huìyì; 'joined meaning'), 4. 假借(jiǎjiè; 'borrowing'), 5. 形声(xíngshēng; 'form and sound'), and 6. 转注(zhuǎn zhù; 'reciprocal meaning').

Piggyback on @username_1's comment:

**警** belongs to the category of **会意字**. It is made up of the two characters "**敬**" and "**言**", with "**戒敕/告诫(caution/admonish)**" as its original meaning. Note that the word "敬" has the meaning of "谨慎(be prudent/discreet)", combined with "言", the resulting word "慎言" implies caution, warning, and alerting.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Characters (字) and character components (部件) are *not* words (詞). This is incredibly confusing terminology that will only lead to conceptual mistakes later down the line.  
> **username_5**: Not really. The 會意 class means you can tell the meaning of the characters by just looking at them, such as 上 and 下. I would say 警 isn't in that category.  
> **username_4**: @fatpenguin **會意字，是指用兩個及兩個以上的獨體漢字，根據各自的含義所組合成的一個新漢字** https://baike.baidu.hk/item/%E6%9C%83%E6%84%8F%E5%AD%97/7146699  

---

