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发号施令 (fā hào shī lìng) — to boss people around; to issue orders (in a high-handed or self-important manner)

Definition

An idiom meaning to issue orders in a bossy, high-handed way — carries a negative judgment, unlike neutral verbs for giving instructions. The character pattern is a-b-c-d parallel with a reduplicated 'order' sense (号 and 令).

idiom
to boss people aroundto issue orders (in a high-handed or self-important manner)

Examples

  • 发号施令，。
    Tā gāng dāng shàng jīng lǐ jiù kāi shǐ duì dà jiā fā hào shī lìng, yì diǎn yě bù zūn zhòng bié rén.
    As soon as he became manager he started bossing everyone around without any respect for others.
  • ，发号施令。
    Zài zhè ge xiàng mù lǐ, méi yǒu rén xǐ huan tā nà zhǒng fā hào shī lìng de tài dù.
    In this project, nobody likes his attitude of ordering people around.
  • ，发号施令。
    Lǐng dǎo yīng gāi duō tīng tīng dà jiā de yì jiàn, ér bú shì zhǐ guǎn fā hào shī lìng.
    Leaders should listen to everyone's opinions more, not just issue orders.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

发号issue orders
发fāissue号hàoorder
动宾Verb + object
施令give commands
施shīgive令lìngcommand
动宾Verb + object

发号 and 施令 are parallel actions of issuing orders, together meaning to give commands.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

Open 发 →

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

  • 口口kǒumouth
  • 丂丂kǎoexhaled air; a tiger's cry

The shape 号 comes from 口, a mouth, and 丂, exhaled air or a tiger's cry.

Open 号 →

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
㫃㫃㫃
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě施shī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

施 pairs 㫃, the part connected to its meaning, with 也, the part giving its sound.

Open 施 →

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

  • 亼亼jí
  • 卩卩jié

In 令, the upper 亼 is an open mouth and the lower 卩 is a kneeling person, together showing someone giving orders.

Open 令 →
Appears in
ManagementIdioms & Set Phrases

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