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制度 (zhì dù) — system, institution (political, administrative, etc.)

Definition

Refers to a system of rules, policies, or organizational arrangements (political, economic, legal). More abstract than 机构 (a concrete organization or agency) and broader than 体系 (an organized framework of knowledge or components).

noun
systeminstitution (political, administrative, etc.)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 制度。
    Zhè ge guó jiā de zhèng zhì zhì dù hěn wěn dìng.
    This country's political system is very stable.
  • 制度。
    Xīn de jīng jì zhì dù cù jìn le fā zhǎn.
    The new economic system promoted development.
  • 制度。
    Fǎ lǜ zhì dù xū yào bú duàn wán shàn.
    The legal system needs continuous improvement.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

制zhìsystem
度dùregulation

Both 制 and 度 refer to systems or regulations, so together they mean an institutional system.

Characters in this word

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

The form 制 pairs 朱 (tree) with 刀 (knife), showing the act of cutting a tree.

Open 制 →

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
又又yòuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
石
石shí度dù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

度 has 又 (hand) and a changed form of 石; 石 gives a related sound, and the hand is tied to using the hand as a reference for measurement.

Open 度 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5Abstract ConceptsGovernment & Politics

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