常任 (cháng rèn) — (attributive) permanent, standing (of a position or role)

Definition

Used only as an attributive modifier (常任+title) to mean 'permanent' or 'standing', in fixed roles like 常任理事 or 常任委员. Always precedes a position or title; never stands alone as a predicate.

adjective
(attributive) permanentstanding (of a position or role)

Examples

  • 常任。
    Tā shì lián hé guó cháng rèn lǐ shì guó de dài biǎo.
    He is the representative of a permanent member state of the United Nations.
  • 常任。
    Zhè ge wěi yuán huì yǒu wǔ wèi cháng rèn wěi yuán.
    This committee has five standing members.
  • 常任。
    Gōng sī rèn mìng le yí wèi cháng rèn fǎ lǜ gù wèn.
    The company appointed a permanent legal advisor.

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.

常chángpermanent
任rènpost

Permanent and post combine to mean a permanent appointment or standing role.

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
巾巾jīncloth
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng常cháng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

常 pairs 巾, a cloth, with 尚 as a sound part; the form originally referred to a lower garment.

Open 常 →

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
壬
壬rén任rèn
Same sound today

任 pairs 亻, a person, with 壬, which may picture a shoulder pole turned sideways.

Open 任 →

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