交通部 (jiāo tōng bù) — Ministry of Communications (or Transport)

Definition

noun

Ministry of Communications (or Transport)

交通部。
jiāo tōng bù Fā bù le xīn de jiāo tōng guī zé.
The Ministry of Communications issued new traffic regulations.
交通部。
Tā céng jīng zài jiāo tōng bù gōng zuò guò.
He once worked at the Ministry of Communications.
交通部。
jiāo tōng bù De zhèng cè yǐng xiǎng le quán guó.
The Ministry's policies affected the whole country.

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.

交通traffic

联合Side by side

部bùdepartment

The field 交通, traffic, specifies the department 部, so it names the transport ministry.

Characters in this word

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

交 originally drew a human with crossed legs. In the modern shape, the upper part resembles a standing person.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

辶甬通

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辶Written in full as辵chuò

Sound part声符shēngfú

甬

甬yǒng通tōng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

通 pairs 辶, a part associated with movement, with 甬, which gives the sound.

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.

Appears in