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卫生部 (wèi shēng bù) — Ministry of Health (government agency)

Definition

noun
Ministry of Health (government agency)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 卫生部。
    wèi shēng bù Fā bù le xīn de gōng gòng wèi shēng zhèng cè.
    The Ministry of Health has issued new public health policies.
  • 卫生部。
    Tā céng zài wèi shēng bù dān rèn zhòng yào zhí wù.
    He once held an important position in the Ministry of Health.
  • 卫生部。
    wèi shēng bù Yāo qiú gè dì jiā qiáng chuán rǎn bìng jiān cè.
    The Ministry of Health requires all regions to strengthen infectious disease surveillance.

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.

卫生health
卫wèiprotect生shēnglife
动宾Verb + object
部bùdepartment

“卫生” means protecting life or health, and “部” means department, so a health department.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 衛; 卫 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
行行xíng
Sound part声符shēngfú
韋
韋wéi衛wèi
Same sound today

The traditional form 衛 is built from 行 as the sense part and 韋 as the sound part; the simplified 卫 is a shorthand.

Open 卫 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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 →
Appears in
Hospital & ClinicGovernment & Politics

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