传讯 (chuán xùn) — to subpoena, to summon (to court)

Definition

A formal legal term: 'to subpoena / summon (a witness or party to court)'. Stronger and more procedurally specific than everyday 通知 — it carries the legal compulsion to appear.

verb

to subpoenato summon (to court)

Examples

传讯。
Fǎ yuàn chuán xùn tā dào tíng zuò zhèng.
The court subpoenaed him to appear in court as a witness.
传讯。
Lǜ shī shōu dào le chuán xùn tōng zhī.
The lawyer received the subpoena notice.
传讯。
Tā bèi chuán xùn hòu bì xū chū tíng.
After being subpoenaed, he must appear in court.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

传chuánsummon

讯xùnquestion

传, meaning summon, and 讯, meaning question, combine in the legal sense of subpoena.

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 →

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 訊; 讯 is its simplified writing.

言卂訊

Meaning part形符xíngfú

言言yán

Sound part声符shēngfú

卂

卂xùn訊xùn

Same sound today

The traditional form 訊 combines 言 (words) with 卂 as a sound part; the simplified 讯 is a shorthand.

Open 讯 →