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选举 (xuǎn jǔ) — to elect

Definition

选举 (xuǎnjǔ) is the formal, process-oriented verb 'to elect' — for organized, institutional voting (presidents, committees). 选 is the everyday 'to choose/pick'; 投票 focuses on the act of casting a ballot; 推选 means to nominate/elect by group decision.

verb
to elect
Measure word · 次, 个

Examples

  • 选举。
    Wǒ men xuǎn jǔ le yí wèi xīn zhǔ xí.
    We elected a new chairperson.
  • 选举。
    Dà jiā tóu piào xuǎn jǔ tā dāng dài biǎo.
    Everyone voted to elect him as the representative.
  • 选举。
    Míng nián xū yào chóng xīn xuǎn jǔ lǐng dǎo.
    Next year we need to re-elect the leadership.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

选xuǎnchoose
举jǔselect

选 and 举 both mean to choose or put forward, together expressing electing.

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 選; 选 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
止止zhǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
巽
巽xùn選xuǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 選 combines 止 with 巽, which gives the sound xùn; its sense of choosing is explained as rejecting or sending someone back. Simplified 选 is a shorthand.

Open 选 →

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 舉; 举 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
與
與yǔ舉jǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 舉 pairs 與, which gives the sound, with 手, a hand; the simplified 举 is a later shorthand.

Open 举 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 5Government & Politics5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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