总领事馆 (zǒng lǐng shì guǎn) — consulate general

Definition

The highest-ranking consular office in a foreign city, headed by a 总领事 (consul general). It handles visas, citizen services, and trade; ranked above a 领事馆 (consulate) but below a 大使馆 (embassy).

noun
consulate general
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 总领事馆。
    Tā zhèng zài zǒng lǐng shì guǎn bàn lǐ qiān zhèng shǒu xù.
    He is handling visa procedures at the consulate general.
  • 总领事馆。
    zǒng lǐng shì guǎn Wèi yú shì zhōng xīn de nà tiáo fán huá jiē dào shàng.
    The consulate general is located on that busy street in the city center.
  • 总领事馆。
    Qǐng dào zǒng lǐng shì guǎn èr lóu de fú wù dà tīng zī xún.
    Please go to the service hall on the second floor of the consulate general to inquire.

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.

总领事consul general
总zǒngchief领lǐngmanage事shìaffairs
偏正Modifier + head
馆guǎnoffice

总领事 is the consul general, and 馆 is the office; together they form the consulate general.

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 領; 领 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yè
Sound part声符shēngfú
令
令lìng領lǐng
Same sound today

The traditional form 領 has 令 as a sound part and 頁 as a meaning part; the simplified 领 is a later shorthand.

Open 领 →

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

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

Open 事 →

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 館; 馆 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
飠Written in full as食shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
官
官guān館guǎn
Same sound today

The traditional form 館 is made of 食, written as 飠 on the left, and 官 on the right; 官 provides the sound. The simplified 馆 is a later shorthand.

Open 馆 →

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