国税 (guó shuì) — national tax, taxes collected by the central government

Definition

National-level taxes collected by the central government, as opposed to taxes kept by local governments (地税). Often used in business and policy contexts.

noun
national tax, taxes collected by the central government

Examples

  • 国税。
    guó shuì Hé dì shuì shì liǎng zhǒng bù tóng de shuì.
    National tax and local tax are two different kinds of taxes.
  • 国税。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī měi nián yào jiāo hěn duō guó shuì.
    This company has to pay a lot of national taxes every year.
  • 国税。
    guó shuì De shōu rù yòng yú guó jiā jiàn shè.
    Revenue from national taxes is used for national construction.

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guócountry
税shuìtax

国 means the country and 税 means tax, together naming taxes of the state.

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
禾禾hé
Sound part声符shēngfú
兑
兑duì税shuì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

税 pairs 禾, a grain plant, with 兑, which gives the character its sound.

Open 税 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.