水电局 (shuǐ diàn jú) — water and electricity bureau; utility department | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Refers to the local government office or company that handles residential water and electricity — where you go to pay utility bills or open service for a new home. The shorter, everyday term is 水电公司.

noun

water and electricity bureauutility department

Measure word · 个

Examples

水电局。
Wǒ míng tiān yào qù shuǐ diàn jú jiāo shuǐ fèi hé diàn fèi.
I need to go to the water and electricity bureau tomorrow to pay the water and electricity bills.
水电局，。
shuǐ diàn jú De diàn huà yì zhí dǎ bù tōng, kě néng shì xiàn lù gù zhàng.
The utility department's phone has been unreachable; there might be a line fault.
水电局。
Xīn fáng zi kāi tōng shuǐ diàn xū yào qù shuǐ diàn jú bàn lǐ shǒu xù.
To set up water and electricity for a new house, you need to go to the utility bureau to handle the procedures.

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.

水电water and electricity

水shuǐwater电diànelectricity

联合Side by side

局júbureau

水 and 电 name the utilities and 局 names the office.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

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 電; 电 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

雨雨yǔrain

Sound part声符shēngfú

申

申shēn電diàn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 電, 雨 (rain) sits with 申, read shēn and meaning lightning.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

句

句jù局jú

Same sound today

The shape of 局 pairs 尸, a meaning part, with 句, a sound part.

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