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侍应生 (shì yìng shēng) — waiter; attendant

Definition

A formal/traditional term for 'waiter', more common in Hong Kong and written Chinese than on the mainland, where 服务员 is the everyday word.

noun
waiterattendant
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 侍应生。
    Zhè jiā cān tīng de shì yìng shēng fú wù hěn hǎo.
    The service at this restaurant is very good.
  • 侍应生。
    Nà wèi shì yìng shēng tài dù fēi cháng rè qíng.
    That waiter is very enthusiastic.
  • 侍应生。
    Tā shì yí wèi yǒu jīng yàn de shì yìng shēng.
    He is an experienced waiter.

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.

侍应serve
侍shìserve应yìngrespond
联合Coordinate
生shēngperson

侍应 “serve” describes 生 “person”, meaning a waiter.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺅Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
寺
寺sì侍shì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

侍 has 人 (person) paired with 寺, which gives the sound.

Open 侍 →

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 應; 应 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
䧹
䧹䧹應yìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 應 pairs 心 (heart) with 䧹 as a sound part; the simplified 应 is a later shorthand and its parts are not the original components.

Open 应 →

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

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →
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