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公务员 (gōng wù yuán) — civil servant; government employee

Definition

A civil servant — a person hired through the national exam to work in government. Unlike 官员, who holds a leadership/appointed position, 公务员 covers rank-and-file government employees.

noun
civil servantgovernment employee
Measure word · 名

Examples

  • 公务员。
    Tā tōng guò guó jiā kǎo shì dāng shàng le gōng wù yuán.
    He became a civil servant by passing the national exam.
  • 公务员，。
    gōng wù yuán De gōng zuò suī rán wěn dìng, dàn yā lì yě bù xiǎo.
    Although civil servants' jobs are stable, the pressure is also not small.
  • 公务员。
    gōng wù yuán Yīng gāi wèi rén mín fú wù.
    Civil servants should serve the people.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

公务public affairs
公gōngpublic务wùaffairs
偏正Modifier + head
员yuánperson

公务员 combines 公务, public affairs, with 员, a person, for someone who works in government.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

One theory sees 公 as a picture of a wide-mouthed, round-bottomed jar.

Open 公 →

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 務; 务 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
敄
敄wù務wù
Same sound today

In the traditional form 務, 力 shows the sense of strength or effort, while 敄 gives the sound. The simplified 务 is a later shorthand.

Open 务 →

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 員; 员 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
鼎鼎dǐngding
Sound part声符shēngfú
〇
〇líng員yuán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 員, 〇 supplies the sound and 鼎 supplies the meaning; the simplified 员 is a shortened form.

Open 员 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5Government & PoliticsProfessions & Jobs

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