事务长 (shì wù cháng) — purser (on a ship or plane); chief steward; log…

Definition

On a ship or plane, the officer in charge of passenger services, finances, and supplies — often translated 'purser' in English.

noun

purser (on a ship or plane)chief stewardlogistics officer

Measure word · 位

事务长。
shì wù cháng Fù zé guǎn lǐ chuán shàng de cái wù hé wù zī.
The purser is responsible for managing the ship's finances and supplies.
事务长。
Zhè sōu yóu lún de shì wù cháng yǐ jīng gōng zuò le èr shí nián.
The purser on this cruise ship has worked for twenty years.
。
Chéng kè yǒu wèn tí kě yǐ zhǎo shì wù cháng bāng máng.
Passengers can ask the purser for help if they have any issues.

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.

事务affairs

联合Side by side

事务 means affairs, and 长 means chief: the chief in charge of affairs on a ship.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

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.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.