邮政局 (yóu zhèng jú) — post office

Definition

noun
post office
Measure word · 家

Examples

  • 邮政局。
    Wǒ qù yóu zhèng jú jì yì fēng xìn.
    I'm going to the post office to send a letter.
  • 邮政局？
    yóu zhèng jú Jǐ diǎn kāi mén?
    What time does the post office open?
  • 邮政局？
    Zhè fù jìn yǒu méi yǒu yóu zhèng jú?
    Is there a post office near here?

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.

邮政postal service
邮yóumail政zhèngadministration
偏正Modifier + head
局júbureau

The mail 邮 and administration 政 combine as 邮政, then join 局, a bureau, to name the office handling postal services.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 郵; 邮 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 郵 pairs 垂 (“far, remote”) with 邑 (“city”) to show a relay station; the simplified 邮 is a later shorthand.

Open 邮 →

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
尸尸shī
Sound part声符shēngfú
句
句jù局jú
Same sound today

The shape of 局 pairs 尸, a meaning part, with 句, a sound part.

Open 局 →

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