工作制 (gōng zuò zhì) — work schedule, work system (the structured arrangement of working hours)

Definition

A noun meaning a formal work-hour arrangement, such as a shift system (轮班工作制) or an eight-hour day (八小时工作制). Always modifies a specific schedule type, never used alone as 'job'.

noun
work schedulework system (the structured arrangement of working hours)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 工作制。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī shí xíng bā xiǎo shí gōng zuò zhì.
    This company implements an eight-hour workday system.
  • 工作制。
    Lún bān gōng zuò zhì ràng yuán gōng kě yǐ líng huó ān pái shí jiān.
    The shift work system allows employees to flexibly arrange their time.
  • 工作制。
    Bù tóng de gōng zuò zhì shì hé bù tóng de háng yè.
    Different work schedules suit different industries.

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.

工作work
工gōngwork作zuòwork or do
联合Side by side
制zhìsystem

工作 combines 工 and 作 to mean work; with 制 it names a system or schedule for work.

Characters in this word

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

The shape of 工 is a picture of a bladed tool used to plow ground or mark a border; some read it as a carpenter's square.

Open 工 →

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
乍
乍zhà作zuò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 亻 comes from 人, meaning 'person', and the right side 乍 gives the sound.

Open 作 →

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

The form 制 pairs 朱 (tree) with 刀 (knife), showing the act of cutting a tree.

Open 制 →

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