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探长 (tàn cháng) — detective (police)

Definition

探长 (tànzhǎng) is a senior police detective, the head of a 刑警队 (detective squad). Often translated just as 'detective', it implies rank or leadership rather than a plain investigator.

noun
detective (police)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 探长，。
    Zhè wèi tàn cháng jīng yàn fēng fù, pò le hěn duō dà àn.
    This detective is very experienced and has solved many major cases.
  • 探长。
    tàn cháng Zhèng zài shěn xùn shì lǐ pán wèn xián yí rén.
    The detective is interrogating the suspect in the interrogation room.
  • 探长。
    Lǎo zhāng tuì xiū qián shì shì jú zuì lì hài de tàn cháng.
    Old Zhang was the most capable detective in the city bureau before he retired.

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.

探tàninvestigate
长chángleader

探 means investigate and 长 means leader, so a leader in investigation.

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.

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

In 探, the 扌 part is a hand, and 𥥍 gives the sound.

Open 探 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Open 长 →
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