How to Write 军 (jūn) — Meaning “Army / military”

Imagine a military vehicle (车) parked under a shelter or canopy (冖). This visual of an army vehicle being covered helps you remember that 军 means 'army' or 'military'.

Write the top radical 冖 first: dot, left vertical, then bottom horizontal. Then write 车: horizontal, left-falling, horizontal, vertical. A common mistake is making the 冖 too narrow so it doesn't fully cover the 车 below.

军 has the component 车 (vehicle) under the cover, while 冗 has 几 (table/stand) and means 'redundant' or 'excessive'. 冘 has a person-like component (儿 or 人) and is rare, often used in ancient names or with different meanings.

军 is used in many military-related words like 军队 (army), 军人 (soldier), and 参军 (to join the army). Culturally, the People's Liberation Army (解放军) is a significant national institution, and 军 appears frequently in official titles and patriotic contexts.

Common words containing 军 include: 军队 (jūn duì) — Army; military; 军人 (jūn rén) — Soldier / military personnel; 参军 (cān jūn) — To join the military..