公安部 (gōng ān bù) — Ministry of Public Security (China's public security agency)

Definition

Refers specifically to China's Ministry of Public Security, the central government body that oversees the police, public order, and domestic security — not a generic term for 'public security department.'

noun
Ministry of Public Security (China's public security agency)

Examples

  • 公安部，。
    gōng ān bù Fù zé quán guó gōng ān gōng zuò, wéi hù shè huì zhì ān.
    The Ministry of Public Security is responsible for national public security work and maintaining social order.
  • ，公安部。
    Zuì jìn, gōng ān bù fā bù le yí xiàng guān yú jiā qiáng jiāo tōng guǎn lǐ de xīn guī dìng.
    Recently, the Ministry of Public Security issued a new regulation on strengthening traffic management.
  • 公安部。
    Tā zài gōng ān bù gōng zuò yǐ jīng èr shí nián le.
    He has worked at the Ministry of Public Security for twenty years.

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.

公安public security
公gōngpublic安ānsecurity
偏正Modifier + head
部bùministry

公安 gives public security and 部 gives ministry, forming China's public security ministry.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
女
女nǚ安ān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 安, 宀 sits above a seated 女 on a cushion; 宀 is the meaning part, 女 is the sound part, and the character originally meant sitting at ease.

Open 安 →

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
邑邑yì
Sound part声符shēngfú
咅
咅pǒu部bù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

部 pairs 咅, which gives the sound, with 邑. It originally named a place in today's Gansu.

Open 部 →

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