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事项 (shì xiàng) — matter; item (to be dealt with)

Definition

事项 refers to specific items or matters on an agenda or to be handled, more formal than the everyday 事 or 事情. It pairs with count words (一项事项, 几个事项), unlike 事.

noun
matteritem (to be dealt with)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 事项。
    Qǐng bǎ shì xiàng xiě zài rì chéng shàng.
    Please write the matter on the schedule.
  • 事项。
    Zhè ge shì xiàng xū yào jìn yí bù diào chá.
    This matter requires further investigation.
  • 事项？
    Huì yì zhōng tǎo lùn le duō shǎo shì xiàng?
    How many items were discussed in the meeting?

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.

事shìmatter
项xiàngitem

事 and 项 combine to mean items of a matter, hence matters or clauses.

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.

Open 事 →

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 項; 项 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng項xiàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 項 combines 工 as a sound part with 頁, meaning head; the simplified 项 is a later shorthand.

Open 项 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Abstract Concepts

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