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科长 (kē zhǎng) — section chief

Definition

A mid-level office title — the head of a 科 (section/division) within a larger 局 or 部. Sits below 处长 and above 普通职员 in Chinese organizational hierarchy.

noun
section chief
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 科长。
    Tā zài zhè jiā gōng sī dāng kē zhǎng yǐ jīng wǔ nián le.
    He has been working as a section chief at this company for five years.
  • 科长，。
    kē zhǎng Zhèng máng zhe kāi huì, nín děng yí huì r.
    The section chief is busy in a meeting; please wait a moment.
  • 科长。
    Wǒ men kē zhǎng duì gōng zuò yāo qiú hěn yán gé.
    Our section chief is very strict about work requirements.

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.

科kēsection
长chángchief

科 (section) and 长 (chief) form the title of a section leader.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
斗斗dòumeasuring tool
Sound part声符shēngfú
禾
禾hé科kē
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

科 pairs 禾, which gives the hé sound, with 斗, a measuring tool.

Open 科 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Open 长 →
Appears in
ManagementProfessions & Jobs

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