直拨 (zhí bō) — to dial directly (a phone number); to allocate directly (funds, resources)

Definition

A verb meaning to dial or allocate directly, emphasizing no intermediary step. In the phone sense, it means bypassing an operator or switchboard; in the funds sense, the money is sent straight to the end user.

verb
to dial directly (a phone number)to allocate directly (funds, resources)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 直拨。
    Tā zhí bō le gōng sī de diàn huà.
    He directly dialed the company's phone.
  • 直拨。
    Zhèng fǔ zhí bō le yì bǐ zī jīn yòng yú jiào yù.
    The government directly allocated a sum of funds for education.
  • 直拨。
    Gōng sī zhí bō le xiàng mù jīng fèi.
    The company directly allocated project funds.

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.

直zhídirectly
拨bōdial or allocate

直 (directly) describes 拨 (dial or allocate), giving a direct dial or allocation.

Characters in this word

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

The earliest form of 直 pairs 目, an eye, with an unclear stroke 丨.

Open 直 →

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 撥; 拨 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
發
發fā撥bō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 撥 combines 手 (hand) with 發, which gives the sound; the simplified 拨 is a different form.

Open 拨 →

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