使团 (shǐ tuán) — diplomatic mission; delegation

Definition

noun

diplomatic missiondelegation

Measure word · 个

使团。
Zhè ge shǐ tuán yóu shí míng wài jiāo guān zǔ chéng.
This diplomatic mission consists of ten diplomats.
使团。
Shì zhèng fǔ jiē dài le lái zì guó wài de shǐ tuán.
The city government received a delegation from abroad.
使团。
Liǎng guó yǐ hù pài shǐ tuán yǐ jiā qiáng hé zuò.
The two countries have exchanged diplomatic missions to strengthen cooperation.

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.

The parts 使 and 团 suggest a group of envoys.

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.

亻吏使

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rén

Sound part声符shēngfú

吏

吏lì使shǐ

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

使 pairs 亻 (person) with 吏, which pictures a hand holding something like a flag, giving the sense of a representative or ambassador.

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.

囗專團

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.