环境保护局 (huán jìng bǎo hù jú) — Environmental Protection Bureau

Definition

noun
Environmental Protection Bureau

Examples

  • 环境保护局。
    Tā zài shì huán jìng bǎo hù jú gōng zuò.
    He works at the city Environmental Protection Bureau.
  • 环境保护局。
    huán jìng bǎo hù jú Zuì jìn fā bù le yí xiàng xīn zhèng cè.
    The Environmental Protection Bureau recently issued a new policy.
  • 环境保护局。
    Shì mín kě yǐ xiàng huán jìng bǎo hù jú jǔ bào huán jìng wū rǎn.
    Citizens can report environmental pollution to the Environmental Protection Bureau.

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.

环境保护environmental protection
环huánsurround境jìngboundary保bǎoprotect护hùprotect
偏正Modifier + head
局júbureau

环境 refers to surroundings, 保护 to safeguarding them, and 局 to the office that carries out this work.

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 環; 环 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
睘
睘qióng環huán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 環 pairs 玉 (jade) with a sound part; the simplified 环 is a shorthand and its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 环 →

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
竟
竟jìng境jìng
Same sound today

境 pairs 土 (earth) with 竟, which gives the sound; the 土 part carries the meaning.

Open 境 →

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

保 originally showed a person 人 carrying a child 子 on their back, which led to the sense of protecting.

Open 保 →

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shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
户
户hù护hù
Same sound today

护 combines 扌 (the hand form 手) with 户, which gives the sound hù.

Open 护 →

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
尸尸shī
Sound part声符shēngfú
句
句jù局jú
Same sound today

The shape of 局 pairs 尸, a meaning part, with 句, a sound part.

Open 局 →

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