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代表团 (dài biǎo tuán) — delegation (group of representatives sent on a mission)

Definition

noun
delegation (group of representatives sent on a mission)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 代表团。
    Zhōng guó dài biǎo tuán zuó tiān fǎng wèn le fǎ guó.
    The Chinese delegation visited France yesterday.
  • 代表团。
    Zhè ge dài biǎo tuán yóu shí wèi zhuān jiā zǔ chéng.
    This delegation is composed of ten experts.
  • 代表团。
    Tā dài lǐng jīng jì dài biǎo tuán cān jiā le huì yì.
    He led the economic delegation to attend 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.

代表representative
代dàiact for表biǎoexpress
偏正Modifier + head
团tuángroup

代表 (“representative”) and 团 (“group”) together mean a delegation sent to represent a body.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
弋
弋yì代dài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 代, 亻 shows a person, and 弋 gives the sound.

Open 代 →

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

The shape 表 pairs 衣 (garment) with 毛 (hair or feather), originally an outer garment.

Open 表 →

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 團; 团 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
囗囗wéi
Sound part声符shēngfú
專
專zhuān團tuán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form 團 combines 囗 as a meaning part with 專 as a sound part; the story is about 團, not about 团.

Open 团 →
Appears in
Groups & OrganizationsInternational & Diplomacy

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