外交家 (wài jiāo jiā) — diplomat; expert in diplomacy

Definition

noun

diplomatexpert in diplomacy

Measure word · 位

外交家。
Tā shì yí wèi zhù míng de wài jiāo jiā.
He is a famous diplomat.
外交家。
Zhè wèi wài jiāo jiā zài guó jì huì yì shàng fā biǎo le zhòng yào jiǎng huà.
This diplomat delivered an important speech at the international conference.
外交家。
Xǔ duō wài jiāo jiā dōu cān yù le zhè cì hé píng tán pàn.
Many diplomats participated in this peace negotiation.

Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

外交diplomacy

偏正Modifier + head

外交 covers state-to-state dealings, and 家 denotes an expert in that field.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

月

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

外 pairs 卜 with 月, a crescent moon; in its older form, the 卜 part had a horizontal bar extending outward, giving the sense of outside.

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

交 originally drew a human with crossed legs. In the modern shape, the upper part resembles a standing person.

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.