部长 (bù zhǎng) — minister (head of a government ministry); head…

Definition

noun

minister (head of a government ministry)head of a department or section (in an organization)

Measure word · 个

部长。
Zhè wèi bù zhǎng jiāng dài biǎo guó jiā chū xí guó jì huì yì.
This minister will represent the country at the international conference.
部长。
Tā zài gōng sī dān rèn shì chǎng bù zhǎng.
He serves as the marketing director in the company.
部长。
Xīn shàng rèn de bù zhǎng tí chū le gǎi gé fāng àn.
The newly appointed minister proposed a reform plan.

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.

部bùdepartment

部 department + 长 leader gives the leader of a department.

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

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.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Appears in