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受命 (shòu mìng) — to receive orders, to take up a mission (formal); to accept someone's advice or suggestion (less common)

Definition

Formal/written 'to receive orders / be entrusted with a mission', typically from a superior or the state. Use 接受任务 or 接到命令 in everyday speech instead.

verb
to receive ordersto take up a mission (formal)to accept someone's advice or suggestion (less common)

Examples

  • 受命。
    Tā shòu mìng qián wǎng zāi qū zhǐ huī jiù yuán.
    He received orders to go to the disaster area and direct the rescue.
  • ，。
    Jiāng jūn shòu le yí cì jǐn jí mìng, lì kè chū fā.
    The general received an urgent order and set off immediately.
  • 受命。
    Zhè wèi dà chén shòu mìng qǐ cǎo xīn fǎ lǜ.
    This minister was entrusted with drafting the new law.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

受shòureceive
命mìngorders

“受” means receive and “命” means orders, together mean receive instructions or a mission.

Characters in this word

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

受 possibly combines 爪 and 又 as hands with 舟 as a boat, to show handing something over.

Open 受 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
令
令lìng命mìng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

命 combines 口, a mouth, with 令, which gives the sound.

Open 命 →
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