总统令 (zǒng tǒng líng) — presidential decree, executive order

Definition

An official order issued directly by a country's president, carrying the force of law. Pairs naturally with 颁布 ('issue') and 生效 ('take effect'), and may be reviewed or opposed by the legislature.

noun
presidential decreeexecutive order

Examples

  • 总统令。
    Xīn zǒng tǒng líng yāo qiú jiā qiáng huán jìng bǎo hù.
    The new presidential decree requires strengthening environmental protection.
  • 总统令。
    Zhè xiàng zǒng tǒng líng yǐ jīng zhèng shì shēng xiào le.
    This executive order has officially taken effect.
  • 总统令。
    Guó huì zhèng zài tǎo lùn shì fǒu fǎn duì zǒng tǒng de zǒng tǒng líng.
    Congress is discussing whether to oppose the president's decree.

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.

总统president
总zǒngchief统tǒnglead
偏正Modifier + head
令lìngorder

总统 (president) and 令 (order) combine into a decree issued by the president.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 總; 总 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìrope
Sound part声符shēngfú
悤
悤cōng總zǒng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 總 has 糸, a rope, and 悤 as a sound part; the rope part is for binding together. This account is for 總, not for 总.

Open 总 →

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 統; 统 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
充
充chōng統tǒng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 統 uses 糸 as a meaning part and 充 as a sound part; the simplified 统 is a later shorthand, so this story is about 統, not about 统's parts.

Open 统 →

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

  • 亼亼jí
  • 卩卩jié

In 令, the upper 亼 is an open mouth and the lower 卩 is a kneeling person, together showing someone giving orders.

Open 令 →

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