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国家安全部 (guó jiā ān quán bù) — PRC Ministry of State Security

Definition

PRC's intelligence and counter-intelligence ministry, in charge of foreign and domestic threats to national security. The name abbreviates to 国安部 in news headlines.

noun
PRC Ministry of State Security

Examples

  • 国家安全部。
    guó jiā ān quán bù Shì zhōng huá rén mín gòng hé guó de zhòng yào jī gòu.
    The Ministry of State Security is an important institution of the People's Republic of China.
  • 国家安全部。
    Tā zài guó jiā ān quán bù gōng zuò le hěn duō nián.
    He worked at the Ministry of State Security for many years.
  • 国家安全部。
    Zuì jìn guó jiā ān quán bù fā bù le yí fèn bào gào.
    Recently, the Ministry of State Security released a report.

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.

国家安全state security
国guóstate家jiāhome安ānsafe全quáncomplete
偏正Modifier + head
部bùdepartment

国家安全 names state security, and 部 names the department.

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 國; 国 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
囗囗wéiclosure
Sound part声符shēngfú
或
或huò國guó
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 國 uses 囗 to show closure and 或 to give the sound.

Open 国 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

Open 家 →

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
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
女
女nǚ安ān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 安, 宀 sits above a seated 女 on a cushion; 宀 is the meaning part, 女 is the sound part, and the character originally meant sitting at ease.

Open 安 →

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

The shape puts 入 together with 玉 to show a whole piece of jade, so it means complete or whole.

Open 全 →

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
邑邑yì
Sound part声符shēngfú
咅
咅pǒu部bù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

部 pairs 咅, which gives the sound, with 邑. It originally named a place in today's Gansu.

Open 部 →
Appears in
Government & Politics

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