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自治区 (zì zhì qū) — autonomous region

Definition

Provincial-level administrative division of China with self-governance for ethnic minorities. Unlike 西北 (a geographic region), 自治区 is a political/administrative unit.

noun
autonomous region
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 自治区。
    Guǎng xī zì zhì qū de fēng jǐng hěn měi.
    The scenery of the Guangxi Autonomous Region is very beautiful.
  • 自治区，。
    Zhōng guó yǒu wǔ gè zì zhì qū, bāo kuò xī zàng hé xīn jiāng.
    China has five autonomous regions, including Tibet and Xinjiang.
  • 自治区。
    Měi gè zì zhì qū dōu yǒu zì jǐ de wén huà hé yǔ yán.
    Each autonomous region has its own culture and language.

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.

自治self-governance
自zìself治zhìgovern
偏正Modifier + head
区qūregion

自 means 'self' and 治 means 'govern', forming 'self-governance', which describes the 区 'region'.

Characters in this word

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

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

自 originally drew a nose. It was borrowed purely for its sound to write 自, so the picture and the meaning are unrelated.

Open 自 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
台
台tái治zhì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

治 has 水 (water) and 台; 台 gives the sound, and the character named a river.

Open 治 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 區; 区 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 區 is made from 匸 and 品; the simplified 区 is a shorthand.

Open 区 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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