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服务业 (fú wù yè) — service industry; services sector

Definition

noun
service industryservices sector
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 服务业。
    Tā yì zhí zài fú wù yè gōng zuò.
    He has always worked in the service industry.
  • 服务业。
    Zhōng guó de fú wù yè zhèng zài kuài sù zēng zhǎng.
    China's service industry is growing rapidly.
  • ，服务业。
    Suí zhe jīng jì fā zhǎn, fú wù yè de bǐ zhòng yuè lái yuè dà.
    With economic development, the service industry's share is getting bigger and bigger.

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.

服务serve affairs
服fúserve务wùaffairs
动宾Verb + object
业yèindustry

服务 (serve affairs) combines with 业 (industry) to name the sector that provides services.

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
凡凡fántray
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠬝
𠬝𠬝服fú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 服, the part 𠬝 was the original picture for 'to subdue'; the added left part 凡, a tray, later changed shape.

Open 服 →

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.

Open 务 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 業; 业 is its simplified writing.

  • 丵丵zhuóchisel
  • 大大dàperson; big

The traditional 業 is explained as a picture of a beam from which bells and chimes hang, or as a person lifting that beam. The simplified 业 is a shorthand, not the original shape.

Open 业 →
Appears in
Business & Commerce

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