捐税 (juān shuì) — taxes and levies | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A formal, written term for 'taxes and levies,' emphasizing the levies/tariffs side more than everyday 税 (general tax). Common in economic, historical, and policy texts.

noun

taxes and levies

Examples

捐税。
Zhèng fǔ zēng jiā le xīn de juān shuì.
The government added new taxes.
捐税。
Nóng mín men bào yuàn juān shuì tài zhòng.
Farmers complain that the taxes are too heavy.
捐税。
Zhè xiē juān shuì yòng yú gōng gòng jiàn shè.
These taxes are used for public construction.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

捐 (levy) and 税 (tax) stand side by side to mean taxes and levies.

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.

扌肙捐

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

肙

肙yuān捐juān

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 扌, from 手, shows a hand doing something. The right side 肙 gives the sound yuān.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

禾兑税

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

兑

兑duì税shuì

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

税 pairs 禾, a grain plant, with 兑, which gives the character its sound.

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