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宗旨 (zōng zhǐ) — aim, purpose, objective

Definition

宗旨 is a formal word for the guiding 'aim' or 'mission' of an organization, policy, or plan — broader than 目标 ('concrete goal'). More written than 目的 ('purpose').

noun
aimpurposeobjective

Examples

  • 宗旨。
    Huì yì de zōng zhǐ shì tǎo lùn wèi lái de fā zhǎn jì huà.
    The purpose of the meeting is to discuss future development plans.
  • 宗旨。
    Zhè xiàng zhèng cè de zōng zhǐ shì bǎo hù huán jìng.
    The aim of this policy is to protect the environment.
  • 宗旨。
    Tā men chuàng bàn zhè ge xué xiào de zōng zhǐ shì péi yǎng rén cái.
    Their goal in founding this school is to cultivate talent.

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.

宗zōngprincipal
旨zhǐpurpose

宗 gives the principal sense, 旨 the intended meaning, together naming the aim.

Characters in this word

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

  • 宀宀miánhouse
  • 示示shìspirit tablet

宗 pairs 宀, a house, with 示, a spirit tablet, to show an ancestral shrine or temple.

Open 宗 →

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
甘甘gāndelicious
Sound part声符shēngfú
匕
匕bǐ旨zhǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

旨 combines 甘, meaning delicious, with 匕, a spoon used to taste food; 匕 also gives the sound.

Open 旨 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Abstract Concepts

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