隊 (duì) - Team, group, line, queue & originally meant 'to fall' or 'to drop' in

隊Tone 4

duì ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

丁恩

隊 · duì

Team, group, line, queue;

originally meant 'to fall' or 'to drop' in ancient Chinese, now primarily used for organized groups or lines of people/things.

Team, group, line, queueoriginally meant 'to fall' or 'to drop' in

Usage highlights

TeamQueue/line upLeaderTeam memberFormationBand/musical group

Synonyms

  • 组— group, team
  • 群— crowd, group
  • 班— class, squad

Antonyms

  • 散— scatter, disperse
  • 乱— chaotic, disordered

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The football team (足球队) won the championship.
  • Please stand in line (排队) for tickets.
  • Our company has a strong research and development team (研发团队).
  • The military squadron (中队) performed a flyover.

Collocations

  • Team(队伍)
  • Queue/line up(排队)
  • Leader(队长)
  • Team member(队员)
  • Formation(队列)
  • Band/musical group(乐队)

Idioms

  • To fall into a well when someone is down(落井下石)
  • Form ranks and categories(分别部居)
  • A formidable army(貔貅之师)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally written as 墜 (zhuì), meaning 'to fall' or 'to drop' in oracle bone script.
  • The character's meaning shifted over time from 'to fall' to refer to organized groups that 'fall in' or line up.
  • In modern usage, it's strongly associated with sports teams, military units, and any organized group formation.
  • The simplified form 队 maintains the essential meaning while reducing stroke count.

FAQ