TongTong
Sign in

文书 (wén shū) — official document; written correspondence; clerk; secretary (in an official or clerical capacity)

Definition

文书 is both the written document itself (official papers, correspondence) and the person who handles them (clerk/secretary). A clerk at a government or work unit.

noun
official documentwritten correspondenceclerksecretary (in an official or clerical capacity)
Measure word · 份

Examples

  • 文书，。
    Zhè fèn wén shū hěn zhòng yào, nǐ hǎo hǎo bǎo guǎn.
    This document is very important—take good care of it.
  • 文书。
    Shàng jí fā lái le yí fèn wén shū.
    The higher authority sent over a document.
  • 文书，。
    Tā shì wǒ men dān wèi de wén shū, fù zé wén jiàn guǎn lǐ.
    He is the clerk in our unit, responsible for document management.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

文wénwriting
书shūdocument

文 and 书 both refer to written material, together meaning an official document or clerk.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The current form 文 shows a man with head, arms, legs, and chest; the tattoo marks on the chest are no longer drawn.

Open 文 →

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 書; 书 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
聿聿yùwriting brush
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě書shū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 書 uses 聿, a writing brush, and 者 for its sound; the simplified 书 is a later shorthand.

Open 书 →
Appears in
Professions & JobsReading & Writing

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.