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行政部门 (xíng zhèng bù mén) — administrative department; executive branch; administration

Definition

Refers to the administrative or executive branch of an organization (company, university, government) — the office that handles management and policy, not operations or research. Often paired with 负责 to introduce its function.

noun
administrative departmentexecutive branchadministration
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 行政部门。
    Tā zài gōng sī de xíng zhèng bù mén gōng zuò.
    He works in the company's administrative department.
  • 行政部门。
    Zhèng fǔ de xíng zhèng bù mén fù zé zhì dìng zhèng cè.
    The government's executive branch is responsible for making policies.
  • 行政部门。
    Dà xué de xíng zhèng bù mén xū yào tí gāo xiào lǜ.
    The university's administration needs to improve efficiency.

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.

行政execute government affairs
行xíngexecute政zhènggovernment affairs
动宾Verb + object
部门department
部bùsection门ménbranch
联合Coordinate

行政 (execute government affairs) specifies the kind of 部门 (department).

Characters in this word

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

  • 彳彳chì
  • 亍亍chù

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.

Open 行 →

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
正zhèng政zhèng
Same sound today

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

Open 政 →

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
邑邑yì
Sound part声符shēngfú
咅
咅pǒu部bù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

部 pairs 咅, which gives the sound, with 邑. It originally named a place in today's Gansu.

Open 部 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 門; 门 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 門 pictures a gate as two door shapes side by side; the simplified 门 is a later shorthand.

Open 门 →
Appears in
Government & PoliticsGroups & Organizations

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