渎职 (dú zhí) — dereliction of duty; malfeasance; official misc… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A formal/legal term for a public official's serious failure to do their job. Used in news, law, and official reports — almost never in daily conversation.

noun

dereliction of dutymalfeasanceofficial misconduct

Examples

渎职。
Zhè wèi guān yuán yīn wèi dú zhí bèi tíng zhí diào chá.
This official was suspended and investigated for dereliction of duty.
渎职。
Fǎ lǜ duì dú zhí xíng wéi yǒu yán gé de chǔ fá guī dìng.
The law has strict punishment provisions for malfeasance.
渎职。
Tā bèi zhǐ kòng fàn yǒu dú zhí zuì.
He was charged with the crime of dereliction of duty.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

渎 (abuse) and 职 (duty) combine to mean abusing one's official duty.

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 瀆; 渎 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

水水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

𧶠

𧶠𧶠瀆dú

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 瀆 uses 水 to show water and 𧶠 to give the sound; the simplified 渎 is a shorthand.

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 職; 职 is its simplified writing.

耳戠職

Meaning part形符xíngfú

耳耳ěrear

Sound part声符shēngfú

戠

戠zhí職zhí

Same sound today

The traditional form 職 pairs 耳 (ear) with 戠, which gives its sound; the simplified 职 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Appears in

Government & Politics

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