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事务所 (shì wù suǒ) — office (as a workplace for professional services); firm, agency (e.g. law firm, accounting firm)

Definition

事务所 names a professional service firm (law, accounting, design) — the organization itself, not a workplace room. Distinct from 办公室 (the physical office room) and 机关 (government body).

noun
office (as a workplace for professional services)firmagency (e.g. law firm, accounting firm)
Measure word · 家

Examples

  • 事务所。
    Tā zài zhè jiā shì wù suǒ gōng zuò le wǔ nián.
    He has been working at this firm for five years.
  • 事务所。
    Nǐ men shì wù suǒ de dì zhǐ wǒ men huì yóu jiàn fā gěi nǐ.
    We will email you the address of your office.
  • 。
    Nà jiā shì wù suǒ de fú wù fēi cháng hǎo.
    The service at that firm is very good.

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.

事务affairs
事shìmatter务wùduty
联合Coordinate
所suǒplace

'事务' combines '事' matters and '务' duties, and '所' is the place where they are handled.

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 務; 务 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
敄
敄wù務wù
Same sound today

In the traditional form 務, 力 shows the sense of strength or effort, while 敄 gives the sound. The simplified 务 is a later shorthand.

Open 务 →

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
斤斤jīnaxe
Sound part声符shēngfú
戶
戶hù所suǒ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

所 pairs 斤, an axe, with 戶, which gives the sound hù; the old meaning was the sound of logging.

Open 所 →
Appears in
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