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救济院 (jiù jì yuàn) — poorhouse; almshouse; institution for the poor

Definition

noun
poorhousealmshouseinstitution for the poor
Measure word · 所

Examples

  • ，。
    Mín guó shí qī, hěn duō chéng shì dōu yǒu jiù jì yuàn.
    During the Republic of China period, many cities had poorhouses.
  • ，救济院。
    Tā xiǎo shí hou jiā lǐ qióng, céng zài jiù jì yuàn zhù guò jǐ nián.
    When he was young, his family was poor, and he lived in an almshouse for a few years.
  • 救济院，。
    Nà zuò jiù jì yuàn jiàn yú shí jiǔ shì jì mò, xiàn zài chéng le bó wù guǎn.
    That poorhouse was built at the end of the 19th century and is now a museum.

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.

救济relief
救jiùsave济jìaid
联合Coordinate
院yuàninstitution

救济 gives relief, and 院 is an institution, so the word is a poorhouse.

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
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
求
求qiú救jiù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 救, 求 gives the sound, and 攴 is the action part.

Open 救 →

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 濟; 济 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
齊
齊qí濟jì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 濟 pairs 水 (water) with 齊, which gives the sound; the simplified 济 is a later shorthand.

Open 济 →

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
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
完
完wán院yuàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

院 is built from 阝, written in full as 阜, and 完, which gives the sound.

Open 院 →
Appears in
Public FacilitiesSociety & Public Life

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