直属 (zhí shǔ) — to be directly subordinate to; to be directly under

Definition

Used in formal/written contexts (org charts, military, corporate hierarchy) for a unit that reports straight to a higher authority with no intermediate level. It is a stative verb, not an action — it links the subordinate to the superior.

verb
to be directly subordinate toto be directly under

Examples

  • 直属。
    Zhè ge bù mén zhí shǔ zǒng gōng sī guǎn lǐ.
    This department is directly under the head office.
  • 直属。
    Gāi bù duì zhí shǔ zhōng yāng jūn wěi zhǐ huī.
    The unit is directly subordinate to the Central Military Commission.
  • 直属，。
    Zǐ gōng sī zhí shǔ mǔ gōng sī, méi yǒu dú lì jué cè quán.
    The subsidiary is directly under the parent company and has no independent decision-making authority.

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.

直zhídirectly
属shǔsubordinate

直 means directly and 属 means subordinate, giving the sense of being directly under an authority.

Characters in this word

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

The earliest form of 直 pairs 目, an eye, with an unclear stroke 丨.

Open 直 →

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 屬; 属 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
㞑Written in full as尾wěitail
Sound part声符shēngfú
蜀
蜀shǔ屬shǔ
Same sound today

The traditional form 屬 pairs 㞑 (tail) with 蜀 as a sound part; the simplified 属 is a shorthand.

Open 属 →

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