办公桌 (bàn gōng zhuō) — desk (office desk)

Definition

noun

desk (office desk)

Measure word · 张

办公桌。
Tā měi tiān zài bàn gōng zhuō shàng gōng zuò bā gè xiǎo shí.
He works at his desk for eight hours every day.
办公桌。
Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yì zhāng xīn de bàn gōng zhuō.
I want to buy a new office desk.
办公桌，。
Zhè zhāng bàn gōng zhuō shì yòng shí mù zuò de, fēi cháng jiē shi.
This desk is made of solid wood and is very sturdy.

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.

办公handle public business

办bànhandle公gōngpublic affairs

动宾Verb + object

办 and 公 suggest handling public business, and 桌 is a desk, so together they denote a desk for office work.

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 辦; 办 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

力力lìstrength

Sound part声符shēngfú

辡

辡biàn辦bàn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 辦 combines 力 (strength) with 辡, which gives the sound; the simplified 办 is a later shorthand.

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

One theory sees 公 as a picture of a wide-mouthed, round-bottomed jar.

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

桌 has 卓 on top, giving the sound and a sense of high, and 木 below, wood; the bottom of 卓 has merged into 木.

Appears in