教务 (jiào wù) — academic affairs; educational administration

Definition

noun

academic affairseducational administration

教务。
jiào wù Gōng zuò hěn fán máng.
Academic affairs work is very busy.
教务。
Xué xiào de jiào wù xì tǒng xū yào shēng jí.
The school's academic affairs system needs an upgrade.
教务。
Tā fù zé guǎn lǐ jiào wù hé xué jí.
She is responsible for managing academic affairs and student records.

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.

教jiàoeducation

务wùaffairs

教 relates to education, and 务 refers to affairs, so together they mean educational affairs.

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

子子zǐchild

攵Written in full as攴pūteaching cane; stick that represents authority

Sound part声符shēngfú

爻

爻yáo教jiào

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

教 uses 爻 for its sound and puts 子 (child) with 攵 (攴), a teaching cane, to show teaching a child.

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 務; 务 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

力力lìstrength

Sound part声符shēngfú

敄

敄wù務wù

Same sound today

In the traditional form 務, 力 shows the sense of strength or effort, while 敄 gives the sound. The simplified 务 is a later shorthand.

Appears in