社会化 (shè huì huà) — (noun) socialization (the process of learning societal norms and behaviors)

Definition

Noun: the process by which individuals learn societal norms and behaviors (社会化 of children). Example 3 uses it as 'market-ization' of services like elder care — same verb pattern -化 meaning 'to make X-'.

noun
socialization (the process of learning societal norms and behaviors)

Examples

  • 社会化。
    Ér tóng shè huì huà shì yí gè cháng qī de guò chéng.
    Children's socialization is a long-term process.
  • 社会化。
    Xué xiào zài shè huì huà zhōng bàn yǎn zhòng yào jué sè.
    Schools play an important role in socialization.
  • 社会化。
    Zhè ge guó jiā zhèng zài tuī jìn yǎng lǎo fú wù de shè huì huà.
    This country is promoting the socialization of elderly care services.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

社会society
社shècommunity会huìgathering
联合Side by side
化huàbecoming/-ization

社会 points to society, while 化 adds the sense of turning something into that condition.

Characters in this word

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 →

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 會; 会 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
合合héto meet
Sound part声符shēngfú
𡆧
𡆧𡆧會huì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Traditional 會 pairs 合 (to meet) with 𡆧, an original form for ironware, to give the sound. The simplified 会 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 会 →

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

化 shows two person figures, one upright and one upside down, to give the idea of reversal or change.

Open 化 →

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