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部里 (bù lǐ) — within the ministry; the ministry (as an administrative entity)

Definition

部里 means 'within the ministry' — it refers to the inside of a specific government ministry, not a department or bureau (司/局). Use it as a location phrase, often with 在 or 的.

noun
within the ministrythe ministry (as an administrative entity)

Examples

  • 部里。
    bù lǐ Xià dá le xīn rèn wu.
    The ministry has issued new tasks.
  • 部里。
    Tā zài bù lǐ gōng zuò le hěn duō nián.
    He has worked in the ministry for many years.
  • 部里。
    bù lǐ De lǐng dǎo zhèng zài kāi huì.
    The leadership within the ministry is having a meeting.

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.

部bùministry
里lǐinside

部 means ministry and 里 gives the sense of within, so the whole refers to the ministry itself.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
邑邑yì
Sound part声符shēngfú
咅
咅pǒu部bù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

部 pairs 咅, which gives the sound, with 邑. It originally named a place in today's Gansu.

Open 部 →

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 裡; 里 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 里 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (里, 里面) it is 裡; in others (公里) it is 里 or 裏.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衤Written in full as衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ裡lǐ
Same sound today

The form 裡 pairs 衤 (clothes) with 里 as a sound component.

Open 里 →
Appears in
Government & Politics

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