使领馆 (shǐ lǐng guǎn) — embassy and consulate (collective term for diplomatic missions)

Definition

Collective term for an embassy's and consulate's functions under one roof. A 大使馆 handles higher-level diplomacy, while a 领事馆 mainly assists citizens with visas and documents abroad.

noun
embassy and consulate (collective term for diplomatic missions)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 使领馆。
    Tā yào qù shǐ lǐng guǎn bàn qiān zhèng.
    He needs to go to the embassy/consulate to apply for a visa.
  • 使领馆。
    Zhè ge chéng shì yǒu hǎo jǐ gè wài guó shǐ lǐng guǎn.
    This city has several foreign embassies and consulates.
  • 使领馆。
    shǐ lǐng guǎn De gōng zuò bāo kuò bǎo hù běn guó gōng mín.
    The work of embassies and consulates includes protecting their own citizens.

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.

使领envoy and consul
使shǐenvoy领lǐngconsul
联合Side by side
馆guǎnoffice

使领馆 joins 使 (envoy) and 领 (consul) with 馆 (office), covering embassy and consulate.

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.

Open 使 →

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 領; 领 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yè
Sound part声符shēngfú
令
令lìng領lǐng
Same sound today

The traditional form 領 has 令 as a sound part and 頁 as a meaning part; the simplified 领 is a later shorthand.

Open 领 →

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 館; 馆 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
飠Written in full as食shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
官
官guān館guǎn
Same sound today

The traditional form 館 is made of 食, written as 飠 on the left, and 官 on the right; 官 provides the sound. The simplified 馆 is a later shorthand.

Open 馆 →

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