行政区 (xíng zhèng qū) — administrative area, administrative region (e.g…

Definition

noun

administrative areaadministrative region (e.g., province, county, district)

行政区，。
Zhè ge xíng zhèng qū de miàn jī hěn dà, rén kǒu yě hěn duō.
This administrative area has a large area and a large population.
行政区。
Zhōng guó yǒu sān shí duō gè shěng jí xíng zhèng qū.
China has more than thirty provincial-level administrative regions.
行政区。
Měi gè xíng zhèng qū dōu yǒu zì jǐ de dì fāng zhèng fǔ.
Each administrative area has its own local government.

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.

行政administration

行xíngexecute政zhènggovernment affairs

动宾Verb + object

“行政” means administration and “区” means area, giving an administrative area.

Characters in this word

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

彳亍行

The shape of 行 originally showed a street intersection, even on both sides. Later it became uneven, with 彳 on the left and 亍 on the right.

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

攴攴pūaction

Sound part声符shēngfú

正

Same sound today

政 combines 正, which gives the sound, with 攴, an action-related part.

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.