服务队 (fú wù duì) — service team, service squad

Definition

A 队 is a squad or team; 服务队 is an organized group (volunteers, medical staff, etc.) that provides a service to the public.

noun
service teamservice squad
Measure word · 支

Examples

  • 服务队。
    Zhè ge fú wù duì měi zhōu dōu qù shè qū bāng máng.
    This service team goes to the community to help every week.
  • 服务队。
    Yī liáo fú wù duì wèi cūn mín miǎn fèi kàn bìng.
    The medical service team provides free medical checkups for villagers.
  • 服务队。
    Zhì yuàn zhě fú wù duì zài zāi qū gōng zuò le shí tiān.
    The volunteer service team worked in the disaster area for ten days.

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service
服fúserve务wùaffairs
动宾Verb + object
队duìteam

服务 means serving affairs, and 队 names a group organized to do it.

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 →

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 隊; 队 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阜阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
㒸
㒸㒸隊duì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 隊 has 阜 as the meaning part and 㒸 as the sound part.

Open 队 →

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