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内政部长 (nèi zhèng bù zhǎng) — minister of the interior

Definition

noun
minister of the interior
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 内政部长。
    Xīn nèi zhèng bù zhǎng míng tiān jiāng zhào kāi jì zhě huì.
    The new minister of the interior will hold a press conference tomorrow.
  • 内政部长。
    nèi zhèng bù zhǎng Fù zé quán guó de zhì ān hé yí mín zhèng cè.
    The minister of the interior is responsible for national public security and immigration policy.
  • 内政部长。
    Zhè wèi nèi zhèng bù zhǎng zài rèn qī jiān tuī xíng le duō xiàng gǎi gé.
    This minister of the interior implemented many reforms during his term.

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.

内政internal affairs
内nèiinternal政zhèngaffairs
偏正Modifier + head
部长department chief
部bùdepartment长chángchief
偏正Modifier + head

内政 names internal affairs, and 部长 names the chief of a department.

Characters in this word

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

  • 入入rùto enter
  • 冂冂jiōnghouse

The shape shows 入 entering into 冂, a house, so it pictures bringing something indoors, giving the sense inside.

Open 内 →

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
攴攴pūaction
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng政zhèng
Same sound today

政 combines 正, which gives the sound, with 攴, an action-related part.

Open 政 →

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
邑邑yì
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.

Open 部 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Open 长 →
Appears in
Government & PoliticsProfessions & Jobs

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