外务 (wài wù) — foreign affairs; external affairs (of a nation); matters outside one's job or responsibilities; (colloquial, pejorative) shady dealings; underhand activities

Definition

Literally 'outside affairs'. In formal/official use it means a nation's foreign affairs; colloquially it means tasks outside one's actual job — i.e. being pulled away to do unrelated work.

noun
foreign affairsexternal affairs (of a nation)matters outside one's job or responsibilities(colloquial, pejorative) shady dealingsunderhand activities

Examples

  • 外务。
    Zhè wèi guān yuán cháng qī cóng shì wài wù gōng zuò.
    This official has long been engaged in foreign affairs work.
  • 外务，。
    Shàng bān shí jiān zuò wài wù, huì bèi lǐng dǎo pī píng.
    Doing personal matters during work hours will be criticized by the boss.
  • 外务，。
    Zhè ge rén jīng cháng gǎo yì xiē wài wù huó dòng, ràng rén jué de bù kě xìn rèn.
    This person often engages in some shady activities, making people feel untrustworthy.

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.

外wàioutside
务wùaffairs

外 (outside) and 务 (affairs) combine to mean affairs outside one's duties or foreign affairs.

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
卜卜bǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
月
月yuè外wài
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.

Open 外 →

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 務; 务 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
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.

Open 务 →

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