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文治 (wén zhì) — civil administration

Definition

Refers to governing a country through culture, education, and civil institutions rather than military force. It is the opposite of 武功 in the classical pairing 文治武功 ("civil and military achievements").

noun
civil administration

Examples

  • 文治。
    Táng dài de wén zhì fēi cháng fā dá.
    The civil administration of the Tang Dynasty was very developed.
  • 文治，。
    Tā zhǔ zhāng yǐ wén zhì zhì guó, ér bú shì wǔ lì.
    He advocates governing through civil administration, not military force.
  • 文治，。
    wén zhì Yǔ wǔ gōng bìng zhòng, guó jiā cái néng cháng zhì jiǔ ān.
    Only when civil administration and military achievements are both emphasized can the country enjoy long-term stability.

Origin

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.

文wéncivil
治zhìgovernance

文 points to civil or cultural affairs and 治 to governance, together meaning civil administration.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
台
台tái治zhì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

治 has 水 (water) and 台; 台 gives the sound, and the character named a river.

Open 治 →
Appears in
Government & Politics

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