客服 (kè fú) — customer service (attributive), relating to cus…

Definition

adjective

customer service (attributive)relating to customer service

Easily confused

客服。
Zhè jiā gōng sī de kè fú bù mén hěn dà.
This company's customer service department is very large.
客服。
kè fú Diàn huà yì zhí zhàn xiàn.
The customer service phone has been busy.
客服。
Tā duì kè fú gōng zuò fēi cháng mǎn yì.
He is very satisfied with the customer service work.

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.

客kècustomer

服fúservice

The idea of 客 as customer and 服 as service gives customer service.

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.

宀各客

Meaning part形符xíngfú

宀宀miánroof

Sound part声符shēngfú

各

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 客, 宀 is a roof and 各 gives the sound; the character meant a guest.

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

𠬝

𠬝𠬝服fú

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

In 服, the part 𠬝 was the original picture for 'to subdue'; the added left part 凡, a tray, later changed shape.

Appears in