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国立 (guó lì) — state-run, national (used for institutions like universities, museums, etc.)

Definition

Used as an attributive before institutions (universities, libraries, museums) to mean 'state-run, national' — run and funded by the central government, not a private or local body.

adjective
state-runnational (used for institutions like universities, museums, etc.)

Examples

  • 国立。
    Zhè suǒ guó lì dà xué yǒu yì bǎi duō nián de lì shǐ le.
    This national university has a history of over a hundred years.
  • 国立。
    guó lì Tú shū guǎn de cáng shū fēi cháng fēng fù.
    The collection of the national library is extremely rich.
  • 国立。
    Tā dǎ suàn bào kǎo yì suǒ guó lì yán jiū jī gòu.
    He plans to apply to a state-run research institute.

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guóstate
立lìestablished

"国" (state) and "立" (established) combine to mean established by 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 →

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

立 pictures a person standing on the ground.

Open 立 →
Appears in
Government & Politics

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