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选民 (xuǎn mín) — voter; electorate

Definition

noun
voterelectorate
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 选民。
    Měi gè xuǎn mín dōu yǒu quán lì cān yù tóu piào.
    Every voter has the right to participate in voting.
  • 选民。
    Zhè cì xuǎn jǔ de xuǎn mín shù liàng bǐ shàng cì duō.
    The number of voters in this election is larger than last time.
  • 选民。
    xuǎn mín Yīng gāi rèn zhēn kǎo lǜ hòu xuǎn rén.
    Voters should seriously consider the candidates.

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.

选xuǎnelect
民mínpeople

选 refers to electing, and 民 refers to people, giving those who vote.

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 →

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

The early form of 民 shows an eye pierced by a sharp cross-shaped implement, possibly linked to an injured or unclear eye.

Open 民 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Rights & Citizenship

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