下派 (xià pā) — to send down (personnel from a higher level to a lower level)

Definition

下派 is a formal/organizational term meaning to send (a person) down from a higher-level unit to a lower one — almost always cadres or officials assigned to grassroots or rural work, often temporarily.

verb
to send down (personnel from a higher level to a lower level)

Examples

  • 下派。
    Shàng jí xià pā le yì pī gàn bù dào jī céng gōng zuò.
    The higher authorities sent down a group of cadres to work at the grassroots level.
  • 下派。
    Tā qù nián bèi xià pā dào nóng cūn dān rèn dì yī shū jì.
    He was sent down to the countryside last year to serve as the first secretary.
  • 下派。
    Zhè cì xià pā de rèn wu shì bāng zhù dāng dì fā zhǎn jīng jì.
    The task of this sending-down is to help the local area develop its economy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

下xiàdownward
派pàisend

「下」 (downward) and 「派」 (send) together mean send personnel down.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

下 is drawn as a short horizontal line below a long curved line.

Open 下 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater; river
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂢
𠂢𠂢派pài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

派 is built from 水 (water/river) and 𠂢. 𠂢 gives the sound, and 水 was added later to tell the character apart from the older form.

Open 派 →

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