新闻官 (xīn wén guān) — information officer

Definition

noun
information officer
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 新闻官，。
    Tā shì yì míng xīn wén guān, fù zé xiàng méi tǐ fā bù xiāo xi.
    He is an information officer responsible for releasing news to the media.
  • 新闻官。
    Zhè wèi xīn wén guān zài xīn wén fā bù huì shàng huí dá le jì zhě de tí wèn.
    This information officer answered the reporters' questions at the press conference.
  • 新闻官。
    Gōng sī xū yào zhāo pìn yì míng yǒu jīng yàn de xīn wén guān.
    The company needs to hire an experienced information officer.

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.

新闻news
新xīnnew闻wénnews
偏正Modifier + head
官guānofficial

The 新闻 (“news”) is the subject matter of the 官 (“official”), giving an official who handles news.

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.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
斤斤jīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
辛
辛xīn新xīn
Same sound today

The shape originally paired 斤, for chopping wood, with 辛 for sound. It was borrowed for its sound to write 新, so the chopping-wood parts are unrelated to 'new'.

Open 新 →

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 聞; 闻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěrear
Sound part声符shēngfú
門
門mén聞wén
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 聞, 門 supplies the sound and 耳 is an ear; this explanation is about 聞, not the simplified 闻.

Open 闻 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 宀宀mián
  • 𠂤𠂤𠂤

官 pairs 宀, a roof, with 𠂤, rooms beneath it, to depict an official building.

Open 官 →

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