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家务活 (jiā wù huó) — housework, household chores

Definition

noun
houseworkhousehold chores

Examples

  • 家务活。
    Tā měi tiān xià bān huí jiā hái yào zuò jiā wù huó.
    She still has to do housework after coming home from work every day.
  • 家务活。
    Tā bǎ jiā wù huó dōu zuò wán cái qù kàn diàn shì.
    He only went to watch TV after finishing all the housework.
  • 家务活。
    Liǎng gè rén fēn dān jiā wù huó bǐ jiào qīng sōng.
    It's easier when two people share the housework.

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.

家务household affairs
家jiāhousehold务wùaffairs
偏正Modifier + head
活huówork

活 means work, and 家务 specifies it as work of household affairs.

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

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

Open 家 →

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 務; 务 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
敄
敄wù務wù
Same sound today

In the traditional form 務, 力 shows the sense of strength or effort, while 敄 gives the sound. The simplified 务 is a later shorthand.

Open 务 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠯑
𠯑𠯑活huó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

活 is built from 氵 (water) and 𠯑, which shows the sound; 𠯑 later changed into 舌.

Open 活 →
Appears in
Cleaning & Chores

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