议定书 (yì dìng shū) — (diplomatic/legal) protocol, supplementary agreement

Definition

A formal written agreement, most often between countries or organizations. Think of the Kyoto Protocol: 议定书 is more binding than a 备忘录 (memo) but a supplement to a larger treaty.

noun
(diplomatic/legal) protocolsupplementary agreement
Measure word · 份

Examples

  • 议定书。
    Liǎng guó qiān shǔ le zhè xiàng yì dìng shū.
    The two countries signed this protocol.
  • 议定书。
    Jīng dū yì dìng shū shì quán qiú qì hòu zhì lǐ de zhòng yào wén jiàn.
    The Kyoto Protocol is an important document for global climate governance.
  • 议定书。
    Zhè fèn yì dìng shū guī dìng le shuāng fāng de hé zuò fāng shì.
    This protocol stipulates the way the two sides cooperate.

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.

议定discuss and settle
议yìdiscuss定dìngsettle
补充Verb + complement
书shūdocument

议定 means discuss and settle, and 书 is a document: a document recording settled terms.

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 議; 议 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yántalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
義
義yì議⁰yì
Same sound today

The traditional form 議 pairs 言 (talk) with 義 as a sound component; the simplified 议 is a later shorthand.

Open 议 →

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mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng定dìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

定 is built from 宀 and 正, with 正 supplying the sound.

Open 定 →

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 書; 书 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
聿聿yùwriting brush
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě書shū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 書 uses 聿, a writing brush, and 者 for its sound; the simplified 书 is a later shorthand.

Open 书 →

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