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常务 (cháng wù) — routine affairs, day-to-day business (of an organization)

Definition

Refers to the standing, day-to-day duties of an organization (as in 常务董事/常务副经理), not specific individual tasks. It pairs with roles, not with general work.

noun
routine affairsday-to-day business (of an organization)

Examples

  • 常务。
    Tā fù zé gōng sī de cháng wù gōng zuò.
    He is in charge of the company's day-to-day affairs.
  • 常务。
    cháng wù Huì yì měi zhōu yí shàng wǔ zhào kāi.
    The routine meeting is held every Monday morning.
  • 常务。
    Tā bèi rèn mìng wèi cháng wù fù jīng lǐ.
    He was appointed as the executive deputy manager.

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chángroutine
务wùaffairs

常 means routine and 务 means affairs, so the word names routine business.

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.

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 →
Appears in
HSK 2.0 Level 6

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