传达室 (chuán dá shì) — gatehouse; security/reception booth at the entrance of a workplace or institution

Definition

A gatehouse or reception booth at the entrance of a workplace or institution, where visitors register and packages are held for pickup.

noun
gatehousesecurity/reception booth at the entrance of a workplace or institution
Measure word · 间

Examples

  • 传达室，。
    Nǐ de kuài dì fàng zài chuán dá shì le, jì de qù ná.
    Your package was left at the gatehouse — remember to go pick it up.
  • 传达室。
    Tā zài chuán dá shì dēng jì le lái fǎng xìn xī.
    He registered his visit information at the reception booth.
  • 传达室。
    chuán dá shì De dà yé ràng wǒ zhuǎn gào nǐ míng tiān kāi huì.
    The guard in the gatehouse told me to let you know about tomorrow's 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.

传达deliver and reach
传chuándeliver达dáreach
联合Side by side
室shìroom

传达室 uses 传达 (delivering messages) with 室 (room), meaning a room for receiving visitors or deliveries.

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 傳; 传 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
專
專zhuān傳chuán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傳 puts 人 (man) beside 專, which gives the sound; the simplified 传 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the historical ones.

Open 传 →

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
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
大
大dà达dá
Same sound today

This form 达 pairs 辶 (written in full as 辵) with 大 as a sound component.

Open 达 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
至
至zhì室shì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

室 puts 宀 (roof) over 至, the spot where someone stops, giving the meaning of a house or residence.

Open 室 →

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