隊 means “troop, unit, corps”

たい · tai

Also: regiment, party, company, squad

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

タイ

JLPT N1 · Taught in grade 4 · 12 strokes

The story

Picture a pack of wild boar (豕) charging down a hillside (阝) together: a unit moving as one. 隊 is any organized body, from the 自衛隊, Japan's Self-Defense Forces, to an expedition (探検隊) heading into the jungle, with a 隊長 out in front.

Used in 自衛隊 (jieitai, Self-Defense Forces), 部隊 (butai, unit/troops), and 隊長 (taichou, captain/leader)

More from Samurai & Soldiers

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• 陣 battle camp
• 幕 curtain
• 准 associate
• 庶 common people
• 班 squad
• 郭 enclosure
• 騎 horseback rider
• 藩 feudal domain
• 侍 samurai
• 屯 be stationed
• 曹 sergeant

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.