服务社 (fú wù shè) — service center, service station (often community-run or institutional)

Definition

A community or neighborhood-run service center — typically small, local, and tied to a 社区 or 街道, distinct from a commercial 服务中心.

noun
service centerservice station (often community-run or institutional)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 服务社。
    Zhè ge shè qū fú wù shè tí gōng miǎn fèi de wéi xiū fú wù.
    This community service center provides free repair services.
  • 服务社。
    Tā zài yì jiā shēng huó fú wù shè gōng zuò le hěn duō nián.
    He worked at a daily-life service center for many years.
  • 服务社。
    Lǎo zhāng tuì xiū hòu qù le jiē dào fú wù shè bāng máng.
    After retiring, Old Zhang went to help at the neighborhood service center.

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.

服务service
服fúserve务wùaffairs
动宾Verb + object
社shèsociety

服务 means serving affairs, and 社 names a place or group that does it.

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
凡凡fántray
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠬝
𠬝𠬝服fú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 服, the part 𠬝 was the original picture for 'to subdue'; the added left part 凡, a tray, later changed shape.

Open 服 →

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 →

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

社 joins 示 (god; deity) and 土 (soil), so its shape is about the god of the land.

Open 社 →

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