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总指挥 (zǒng zhǐ huī) — commander-in-chief; general director (top leader of a project or operation)

Definition

总指挥 is the top person who directs an operation or project — military, rescue, or organizational — with full authority. The role name compounds 总 ('chief/overall') + 指挥 ('to direct, commander'), and is measured with 位.

noun
commander-in-chiefgeneral director (top leader of a project or operation)
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 总指挥。
    Tā shì zhè cì xíng dòng de zǒng zhǐ huī.
    He is the commander-in-chief of this operation.
  • 总指挥。
    zǒng zhǐ huī Yāo qiú wǒ men àn shí wán chéng rèn wu.
    The general director requires us to complete the task on time.
  • 总指挥，。
    Zuò wéi zǒng zhǐ huī, tā fù quán zé.
    As the commander-in-chief, he bears full responsibility.

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zǒnggeneral
指挥direct; command
指zhǐpoint挥huīwave
联合Coordinate

总 adds the sense of overall or chief, while 指 and 挥 together convey directing and commanding.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
旨
旨zhǐ指zhǐ
Same sound today

The left part 扌 is the hand form 手. The right part 旨 gives the sound.

Open 指 →

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 揮; 挥 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
軍
軍jūn揮huī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 揮 pairs 扌 (hand) with 軍 as a sound part; the simplified 挥 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the historical component.

Open 挥 →
Appears in
ManagementProfessions & Jobs

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