实业家 (shí yè jiā) — industrialist; industrial entrepreneur

Definition

实业家 refers to a businessperson who owns or runs industrial enterprises (factories, manufacturing), not just any businessperson. The 家 suffix marks a professional, similar to 科学家 or 艺术家.

noun
industrialistindustrial entrepreneur
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 实业家。
    Tā shì yí wèi chéng gōng de shí yè jiā.
    He is a successful industrialist.
  • 实业家。
    Zhè wèi shí yè jiā yōng yǒu yì jiā dà xíng gāng tiě gōng chǎng.
    This industrialist owns a large steel factory.
  • 实业家。
    Hěn duō shí yè jiā duì guó jiā jīng jì yǒu jù dà gòng xiàn.
    Many industrialists make great contributions to the national economy.

Origin

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.

实业industry
实shíreal业yèbusiness
偏正Modifier + head
家jiāperson

实业 means real business, and 家 points to a person devoted to that activity.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 實; 实 is its simplified writing.

  • 宀宀miánroof
  • 周周zhōucarved jade
  • 貝貝bèishellfish; cowrie

The traditional form 實 has 宀 'roof' above 周 'carved jade' and 貝 'cowrie'; the simplified 实 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 实 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 業; 业 is its simplified writing.

  • 丵丵zhuóchisel
  • 大大dàperson; big

The traditional 業 is explained as a picture of a beam from which bells and chimes hang, or as a person lifting that beam. The simplified 业 is a shorthand, not the original shape.

Open 业 →

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 →

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