政策 (zhèng cè) — policy

Definition

政策 is a concrete plan or rule issued by a government or organization ("policy"). Don't confuse it with 政治 (politics, the field) or 方针 (broader guiding principles, more abstract).

noun
policy
Measure word ·

Examples

  • Gōng sī de xīn zhèng cè shòu dào dà jiā huān yíng.
    The company's new policy is welcomed by everyone.
  • 政策
    Guó jiā jīng jì zhèng cè de biàn huà huì yǐng xiǎng měi gè rén de shēng huó.
    Changes in national economic policy can affect everyone's life.
  • 政策
    Wǒ men yīng gāi liǎo jiě guó jiā de wài jiāo zhèng cè.
    We should understand the country's foreign policy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

zhènggovernment/politics
plan/strategy

政 and 策 carry related meanings of governance and plan, together naming a policy.

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
action
Sound part声符shēngfú
zhèngzhèng
Same sound today

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

Open 政 →

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

策 pairs 竹 (bamboo) with 朿 as a sound part.

Open 策 →

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