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民选 (mín xuǎn) — (attributive) popularly elected; elected by the people

Definition

Used as an attributive adjective meaning 'elected by the people' (民选政府, 民选代表). Contrast with 任命 (appointed) — 民选 implies democratic legitimacy through public vote.

adjective
(attributive) popularly electedelected by the people

Examples

  • 民选。
    mín xuǎn Zhèng fǔ gèng shòu rén mín xìn rèn.
    A popularly elected government is more trusted by the people.
  • 民选。
    Tā shì dì yī wèi mín xuǎn shì zhǎng.
    He is the first popularly elected mayor.
  • 民选。
    mín xuǎn Dài biǎo xū yào dìng qī xiàng xuǎn mín huì bào gōng zuò.
    Elected representatives need to report their work to voters regularly.

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.

民mínpeople
选xuǎnelect

民选 combines 民 (people) and 选 (elect) to mean chosen by the people.

Characters in this word

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

The early form of 民 shows an eye pierced by a sharp cross-shaped implement, possibly linked to an injured or unclear eye.

Open 民 →

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 選; 选 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
止止zhǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
巽
巽xùn選xuǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 選 combines 止 with 巽, which gives the sound xùn; its sense of choosing is explained as rejecting or sending someone back. Simplified 选 is a shorthand.

Open 选 →
Appears in
Government & Politics

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