喉舌 (hóu shé) — mouthpiece, spokesperson (for an organization or government); official organ (e.g., a newspaper representing a party)

Definition

Literally 'throat and tongue': a figurative noun for the spokesperson or official outlet (a newspaper, media) that voices a group's position. Almost always used in political or organizational contexts, not for ordinary personal speech.

noun
mouthpiecespokesperson (for an organization or government)official organ (e.g., a newspaper representing a party)

Examples

  • 喉舌。
    Zhè jiā bào zhǐ shì zhèng fǔ de hóu shé.
    This newspaper is the government's mouthpiece.
  • 喉舌，。
    Zuò wéi rén mín de hóu shé, méi tǐ yīng gāi fǎn yìng zhēn shí de shēng yīn.
    As the people's mouthpiece, the media should reflect real voices.
  • 喉舌。
    Tā chéng le gāi zǔ zhī de guān fāng hóu shé.
    He became the official mouthpiece of that organization.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

喉hóuthroat
舌shétongue

喉 (throat) and 舌 (tongue) are parallel speech organs, giving the sense of a mouthpiece or spokesperson.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
侯
侯hóu喉hóu
Same sound today

喉 combines 口, a mouth, with 侯, which gives its sound.

Open 喉 →

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

舌 was drawn as a snake's forked tongue rising from an open mouth.

Open 舌 →

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