天职 (tiān zhí) — vocation; sacred duty; calling | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A solemn 'calling or sacred duty' — something you feel destined or morally bound to do, stronger than 责任 (responsibility) and more elevated than 义务 (obligation).

noun

vocationsacred dutycalling

Examples

天职。
Jiào shī de tiān zhí shì jiāo shū yù rén.
A teacher's vocation is to educate and nurture students.
天职。
Bǎo hù huán jìng shì měi gè rén yīng jìn de tiān zhí.
Protecting the environment is a duty everyone should fulfill.
天职。
Tā jué de zì jǐ yǒu tiān zhí qù bāng zhù pín kùn ér tóng.
He feels he has a calling to help poor children.

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.

The sense of 天, heaven, combines with 职, duty, to mean a sacred calling.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

丁

丁dīng天tiān

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

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 職; 职 is its simplified writing.

耳戠職

Meaning part形符xíngfú

耳耳ěrear

Sound part声符shēngfú

戠

戠zhí職zhí

Same sound today

The traditional form 職 pairs 耳 (ear) with 戠, which gives its sound; the simplified 职 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

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