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传令 (chuán lìng) — to transmit orders, to dispatch orders

Definition

A formal/military verb meaning 'to transmit or dispatch orders' (an officer sends a command down the chain). Distinct from 通知 (to notify/inform) and 命令 (the order itself) — 传令 focuses on the act of relaying the order.

verb
to transmit ordersto dispatch orders

Examples

  • 传令。
    Zhǐ huī guān lì kè xiàng gè bù duì chuán lìng.
    The commander immediately transmitted orders to all units.
  • 。
    Tā chuán le yí dào jǐn jí lìng.
    He transmitted an urgent order.
  • 传令。
    Shàng jí yāo qiú wǒ men jǐn kuài chuán lìng.
    The higher authorities required us to dispatch orders as soon as possible.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

传chuántransmit
令lìngorder

“传” means to pass on, and “令” means orders, so the whole names passing on orders.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 傳; 传 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
專
專zhuān傳chuán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傳 puts 人 (man) beside 專, which gives the sound; the simplified 传 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the historical ones.

Open 传 →

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

  • 亼亼jí
  • 卩卩jié

In 令, the upper 亼 is an open mouth and the lower 卩 is a kneeling person, together showing someone giving orders.

Open 令 →
Appears in
Communication & SpeechMilitary & Defense

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