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主厨 (zhǔ chú) — (verb-object) to be the chef, to serve as head chef

Definition

主厨 (zhǔchú) names the person in charge of the kitchen — the head chef, the senior role over the cooks. As a verb-object phrase it means 'to serve as head chef', e.g. 他主厨 (tā zhǔ chú) 'he is head chef' / 'he serves as head chef'.

verb
(verb-object) to be the chefto serve as head chef

Examples

  • 。
    Tā zài zhè jiā cān tīng zhǔ guò chú.
    He has been the chef at this restaurant.
  • ，。
    Tā zhǔ le wǔ nián de chú, chú yì fēi cháng hǎo.
    He was the chef for five years, and his cooking skills are excellent.
  • 主厨？
    Jīn wǎn de wǎn yàn yóu nín zhǔ chú ma?
    Are you being the chef for tonight's dinner?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

主zhǔtake charge
厨chúkitchen

主 means to take charge and 厨 refers to the kitchen, so the word means to serve as the person in charge of cooking.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The old forms that became 主 showed a lamp or torch with a flame at the top; other forms showed wood on fire or a spirit tablet.

Open 主 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 廚; 厨 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
广广guǎng
Sound part声符shēngfú
尌
尌shù廚chú
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form explained here is 廚, not 厨: the 广 part is about the meaning, and the 尌 part gives the sound.

Open 厨 →
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