总务处 (zǒng wù chǔ) — general affairs department, administrative office

Definition

noun
general affairs departmentadministrative office
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 总务处？
    Nǐ qù zǒng wù chǔ lǐng bàn gōng yòng pǐn?
    Are you going to the general affairs department to pick up office supplies?
  • 总务处，。
    Tā zài zǒng wù chǔ gōng zuò, fù zé hòu qín guǎn lǐ.
    He works in the general affairs department and is responsible for logistics management.
  • 总务处。
    Qǐng bǎ shēn qǐng biǎo jiāo dào zǒng wù chǔ.
    Please submit the application form to the general affairs office.

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.

总务general affairs
总zǒngoverall务wùaffairs
偏正Modifier + head
处chùoffice

The office for general affairs handles overall administrative matters.

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 總; 总 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìrope
Sound part声符shēngfú
悤
悤cōng總zǒng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 總 has 糸, a rope, and 悤 as a sound part; the rope part is for binding together. This account is for 總, not for 总.

Open 总 →

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 →

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 處; 处 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
夂夂zhǐ
几几jǐtable
Sound part声符shēngfú
虍
虍hū處chǔ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 處 pairs 虍, giving the sound, with 夂 and 几, a table, as meaning parts. The simplified 处 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 处 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.