杂牌军

雜牌軍

zápáijūn

noun #86,802

Measure Word

一支杂牌军 zhī

Meanings

1 ragtag army
2 irregular troops
3 (figurative) a motley crew of unaffiliated members

Characters

mixed, miscellaneous

Examples

抗战初期，许多杂牌军共同抵抗日军。

Kàngzhàn chūqí, xǔduō zápáijūn gòngtóng dǐkàng Rì jūn.

In the early Sino-Japanese War, many irregular units fought the Japanese together.

这支杂牌军居然赢了正规队。

Zhè zhī zápáijūn jūrán yíngle zhèngguīduì.

This ragtag squad actually beat the regular team.

Tips

history

Literally "miscellaneous-brand troops". In Republican-era China, 中央军 (zhōngyāngjūn — Chiang Kai-shek’s loyal Nationalist core) was contrasted with 杂牌军 — provincial warlord units that nominally joined the KMT but kept their own command and gear. Now used figuratively for any ad-hoc, unofficial group.

Stroke Order

杂 zá

牌 pái

军 jūn