宣传部长 (xuān chuán bù zhǎng) — head of the propaganda department; director of publicity

Definition

A formal, official title: 'head of the propaganda department.' In non-Communist contexts, render it as 'director of publicity' or 'communications director.' Note: the pinyin shown (xuān chuán) omits bù zhǎng.

noun
head of the propaganda departmentdirector of publicity
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 宣传部长。
    Xīn rèn xuān chuán bù zhǎng zài jì zhě huì shàng fā biǎo le jiǎng huà.
    The newly appointed head of the propaganda department gave a speech at the press conference.
  • 宣传部长。
    xuān chuán bù zhǎng Fù zé jiān dū suǒ yǒu duì wài xuān chuán cái liào.
    The propaganda department head is responsible for overseeing all external publicity materials.
  • 宣传部长。
    Dà xué xuān chuán bù zhǎng zǔ zhī le yì chǎng wén huà jiāo liú huó dòng.
    The university's propaganda department head organized a cultural exchange event.

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.

宣传propaganda
宣xuāndeclare传chuánspread
联合Side by side
部长department chief
部bùdepartment长chángchief
偏正Modifier + head

「宣传」 as propaganda and 「部长」 as department chief combine to name the chief of a propaganda 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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
亘
亘gèn宣xuān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

宣 pairs the roof 宀, pointing to the emperor's main hall, with 亘 as the sound part. From that hall meaning, it came to mean clear or evident.

Open 宣 →

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 傳; 传 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
專
專zhuān傳chuán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傳 puts 人 (man) beside 專, which gives the sound; the simplified 传 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the historical ones.

Open 传 →

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Open 长 →

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