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观察员 (guān chá yuán) — observer

Definition

A person officially sent to watch and report on a situation (elections, conflicts, conferences) without taking part. Implies an official or appointed role, not a casual bystander.

noun
observer
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 观察员。
    Tā shì lián hé guó pài lái de guān chá yuán.
    He is an observer sent by the United Nations.
  • 观察员。
    Zhè xiē guān chá yuán xū yào jì lù xiàn chǎng qíng kuàng.
    These observers need to record the situation on site.
  • 观察员，。
    Zuò wéi jūn shì guān chá yuán, tā de rèn wu hěn zhòng yào.
    As a military observer, his mission is very important.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

观察observe
观guānobserve察cháexamine
联合Coordinate
员yuánperson

观察 means to observe, and 员 denotes a person, giving one who observes.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 觀; 观 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
雚
雚guàn觀guān
Same sound today

The traditional form 觀 uses 見 (see) for meaning and 雚 for sound.

Open 观 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
祭
祭jì察chá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape 察 combines 宀, a roof, with 祭 as the sound part.

Open 察 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 員; 员 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
鼎鼎dǐngding
Sound part声符shēngfú
〇
〇líng員yuán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 員, 〇 supplies the sound and 鼎 supplies the meaning; the simplified 员 is a shortened form.

Open 员 →
Appears in
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