务 (wù) — affair, business (bound form); to strive for, to devote oneself to (bound form); must, should (bound form, e.g. 务必)
Definition
务 is a bound form — it never stands alone. It means 'affair/work' (任务 task, 业务 business) or 'to strive for' (务必 must, 服务 to serve).
bound form
affairbusiness (bound form)to strive forto devote oneself to (bound form)mustshould (bound form, e.g. 务必)
Easily confused
- 各gèlook-alike(determiner) each, every (used before a noun to refer to every individual member of a group)
- 物wùsound-alikething, object
- 备bèilook-aliketo prepare; to equip
- 雾wùsound-alikefog, mist
- 条tiáolook-alike(classifier) used for long, thin objects (rivers, roads, trousers, fish, etc.)
- 误wùsound-aliketo mistake (in understanding or action); to mis-
Examples
- 。Tā chéng dān le zhè xiàng zhòng yào rèn wù.He undertook this important task.
- 。Tā bì shēng zhì lì yú yī wù gōng zuò.He devoted his whole life to medical work.
- 。Nǐ wù bì zhǔn shí dào dá.You must arrive on time.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
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.
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