国家机器 (guó jiā jī qì) — state apparatus; machinery of state (the institutions through which a state exercises power)

Definition

A formal political term for the state apparatus — the institutions (military, courts, bureaucracy) through which a government exercises power. Not used for the country itself (国家) or a single government agency.

noun
state apparatusmachinery of state (the institutions through which a state exercises power)

Examples

  • 国家机器。
    Gǎi gé guó jiā jī qì kě yǐ tí gāo xíng zhèng xiào lǜ.
    Reforming the state apparatus can improve administrative efficiency.
  • 国家机器。
    Jūn duì shì guó jiā jī qì de zhòng yào zǔ chéng bù fen.
    The military is an important component of the state apparatus.
  • 国家机器。
    Fǎ lǜ shì guó jiā jī qì yùn zhuǎn de jī běn gōng jù.
    Law is the fundamental tool for the operation of the state apparatus.

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.

国家state
国guócountry家jiāhome
联合Side by side
机器machine
机jīmachine器qìinstrument
联合Side by side

The 机器 machine of the 国家 state, describing its institutions.

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 國; 国 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
囗囗wéiclosure
Sound part声符shēngfú
或
或huò國guó
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 國 uses 囗 to show closure and 或 to give the sound.

Open 国 →

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miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

Open 家 →

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
木木mùtree; wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
几
几jǐ机jī
Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

Open 机 →

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

The origin of 器 is uncertain; one traditional account reads the whole shape as a scene of guarding over four vessels.

Open 器 →

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