常务董事 (cháng wù dǒng shì) — (noun) executive director; standing member of the board of directors

Definition

A permanent, full-time member of a company's board of directors, as opposed to a non-executive or part-time director. The 常 (standing) signals an ongoing executive role rather than an honorary appointment.

noun
executive directorstanding member of the board of directors
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 常务董事。
    Tā bèi xuǎn wéi cháng wù dǒng shì.
    He was elected as the executive director.
  • 常务董事。
    cháng wù dǒng shì Jiāng cān jiā míng tiān de dǒng shì huì huì yì.
    The executive director will attend tomorrow's board meeting.
  • 常务董事。
    Tā dān rèn cháng wù dǒng shì yǐ jīng wǔ nián le.
    She has been serving as the executive director for five years.

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.

常务standing/routine affairs
常chángstanding/routine务wùaffairs
偏正Modifier + head
董事director
董dǒngsupervise事shìaffairs
动宾Verb + object

常务 carries standing/routine affairs, 董事 carries supervising affairs, together naming an executive director.

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 →

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
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng董dǒng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

董 is made of 艸 (grass) and 重, which is used for the sound.

Open 董 →

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

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

Open 事 →

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