指挥棒 (zhǐ huī bàng) — (conductor's) baton; (figurative) baton; guiding principle or directive that sets direction

Definition

Literally 'conducting stick': a conductor's baton, and by extension an invisible 'baton' held by whoever steers a group (government, market). Pairs with 挥 to mean 'wave the baton'.

noun
(conductor's) baton(figurative) batonguiding principle or directive that sets direction
Measure word · 根

Examples

  • 指挥棒，。
    Zhǐ huī jiā ná qǐ zhǐ huī bàng, yīn yuè huì kāi shǐ le.
    The conductor picked up the baton, and the concert began.
  • 指挥棒。
    Jīng jì fā zhǎn bù néng zhī kào zhèng fǔ de zhǐ huī bàng.
    Economic development cannot rely solely on the government's baton.
  • 指挥棒。
    Shì chǎng de zhǐ huī bàng jué dìng le zī yuán de fēn pèi.
    The baton of the market determines resource allocation.

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.

指挥direct
指zhǐpoint挥huīwave
联合Side by side
棒bàngstick

A baton is the stick used to direct, combining 指, 挥, and 棒.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
旨
旨zhǐ指zhǐ
Same sound today

The left part 扌 is the hand form 手. The right part 旨 gives the sound.

Open 指 →

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 揮; 挥 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
軍
軍jūn揮huī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 揮 pairs 扌 (hand) with 軍 as a sound part; the simplified 挥 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the historical component.

Open 挥 →

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
木木mùtree, wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
奉
奉fèng棒bàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

棒 combines 木 (wood) with 奉, which gives the sound, to write a wooden club.

Open 棒 →

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