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义务 (yì wù) — (noun) duty, obligation; (adjective) volunteer, unpaid (work, service)

Definition

义务 is a 'duty or obligation' one is morally or legally bound to fulfill — stronger and more formal than 责任 ('responsibility,' which can also mean blame). As an adjective it means 'voluntary/unpaid' (义务劳动 = volunteer work).

noun
dutyobligation
adjective
volunteerunpaid (work, service)
Measure word · 项

Examples

  • 义务。
    Bǎo hù huán jìng shì měi gè gōng mín de yì wù.
    Protecting the environment is every citizen's duty.
  • 义务。
    Tā zhōu mò jīng cháng cān jiā yì wù láo dòng.
    He often participates in volunteer labor on weekends.
  • 义务，。
    Zhè shì fǎ lǜ guī dìng de yì wù, nǐ bì xū zūn shǒu.
    This is a legal obligation; you must comply.

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.

义yìrighteousness
务wùaffair

义 contributes righteousness, and 务 contributes affair, so the word names a duty.

Characters in this word

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 義; 义 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
羊羊yáng
Sound part声符shēngfú
我
我wǒ義yì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 義 has 我 giving the sound and 羊 meaning good or auspicious; the simplified 义 is a later abbreviation.

Open 义 →

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 務; 务 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
敄
敄wù務wù
Same sound today

In the traditional form 務, 力 shows the sense of strength or effort, while 敄 gives the sound. The simplified 务 is a later shorthand.

Open 务 →
Appears in
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