摄政 (shè zhèng) — to act as regent, to serve as regent

Definition

摄政 (shè zhèng) means to act as regent — ruling temporarily on behalf of a monarch who is too young, absent, or unfit to govern. It is a formal historical/political term, not everyday vocabulary.

verb
to act as regentto serve as regent

Examples

  • 摄政。
    Tā zài huáng dì nián yòu shí shè zhèng.
    He acted as regent when the emperor was young.
  • ，。
    Zhè wèi dà chén céng jīng shè guò zhèng, quán lì hěn dà.
    This minister once served as regent and had great power.
  • ，摄政。
    Lì shǐ shàng, tài hòu shè zhèng de qíng kuàng bìng bù shǎo jiàn.
    In history, it was not uncommon for empress dowagers to act as regents.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

摄shètake charge
政zhènggovernment

摄 as take charge and 政 as government combine to mean govern as regent.

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 攝; 摄 is its simplified writing.

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

The traditional form 攝 combines 扌 (hand) with 聶 as a sound part; the simplified 摄 is a later shorthand.

Open 摄 →

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
攴攴pūaction
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng政zhèng
Same sound today

政 combines 正, which gives the sound, with 攴, an action-related part.

Open 政 →

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