事体 (shì tǐ) — matter, affair, business

Definition

Literary/written term for 'matter, affair,' often in phrases like 事体管理 ('affairs management'). More formal than the everyday 事情, and broader in scope.

noun
matteraffairbusiness

Examples

  • 事体，。
    Zhè jiàn shì tǐ hěn zhòng yào, wǒ men bì xū rèn zhēn chǔ lǐ.
    This matter is very important; we must handle it carefully.
  • 事体。
    Tā fù zé gōng sī de shì tǐ guǎn lǐ.
    He is responsible for the company's affairs management.
  • 事体。
    Zhè ge shì tǐ shè jí hěn duō fāng miàn.
    This matter involves many aspects.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

事shìmatter
体tǐaffair

事 and 体 both point to matters or affairs, giving the sense of a business or situation.

Characters in this word

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

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

Open 事 →

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 體; 体 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
骨骨gǔbone
Sound part声符shēngfú
豊
豊lǐ體tǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 體 pairs 骨 (bone) with 豊 as a sound part; this note is about 體, not about the parts of 体.

Open 体 →

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