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发言人 (fā yán rén) — spokesperson

Definition

A spokesperson — the person designated to speak officially for an organization. 发言 on its own is the act of speaking or the speech itself, not the person.

noun
spokesperson
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 发言人。
    Wài jiāo bù fā yán rén jīn tiān jǔ xíng le jì zhě huì.
    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson held a press conference today.
  • 发言人。
    Zhè wèi fā yán rén dài biǎo gōng sī fā biǎo le shēng míng.
    This spokesperson issued a statement on behalf of the company.
  • 发言人，。
    Zuò wéi fā yán rén, tā bì xū zhǔn què chuán dá xìn xī.
    As a spokesperson, he must convey information accurately.

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.

发言speak
发fāutter言yánwords
动宾Verb + object
人rénperson

A 人 who 发言, or speaks, is a spokesperson.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

Open 发 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The early form of 言 shows an opening and a mark indicating a location; the location is not described as the source of speech.

Open 言 →

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

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Communication & SpeechProfessions & Jobs

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