系主任 (xì zhǔ rèn) — head of a department (in a college or universit… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

The academic 'head of department' in a college or university. Use 位 as the measure word for people in this role.

noun

head of a department (in a college or university)

Measure word · 位

Examples

系主任。
Wǒ men xì zhǔ rèn shì yí wèi fēi cháng rèn zhēn de jiào shòu.
Our department head is a very serious professor.
系主任。
xì zhǔ rèn Zài huì yì shàng tí chū le xīn de jiào xué jì huà.
The department head proposed a new teaching plan at the meeting.
系主任。
Xué shēng yǒu wèn tí kě yǐ zhí jiē zhǎo xì zhǔ rèn.
Students can directly go to the department head with questions.

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.

系xìdepartment

主任director

主zhǔpreside任rènduties

动宾Verb + object

The 主任 (director) of a 系 (department).

Characters in this word

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

手手shǒu
糸糸mì

系 is made by putting together 手 (hand) and 糸 (silk).

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

The old forms that became 主 showed a lamp or torch with a flame at the top; other forms showed wood on fire or a spirit tablet.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

亻壬任

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rénperson

Sound part声符shēngfú

壬

壬rén任rèn

Same sound today

任 pairs 亻, a person, with 壬, which may picture a shoulder pole turned sideways.

Appears in

Professions & Jobs School & Education

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