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职能 (zhí néng) — function (of an organization, system, or position); role (of a person or department)

Definition

职能 refers to the official function or duties built into a position, department, or system — closer to 功能 (what something does) than to 身份 (who you are) or 任务 (a specific job to do).

noun
function (of an organization, system, or position)role (of a person or department)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 职能。
    Zhè ge bù mén de zhí néng shì fù zé shì chǎng tuī guǎng.
    This department's function is to be responsible for marketing.
  • 职能。
    Měi wèi yuán gōng dōu bì xū qīng chǔ zì jǐ de zhí néng.
    Every employee must be clear about their own role.
  • 职能。
    Zhè cì gǎi gé tiáo zhěng le gōng sī de zhí néng huà fēn.
    This reform adjusted the company's division of functions.

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.

职zhíduty
能néngfunction

职能 joins 职 (duty) with 能 (function), so it names the function of a duty or post.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 職; 职 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěrear
Sound part声符shēngfú
戠
戠zhí職zhí
Same sound today

The traditional form 職 pairs 耳 (ear) with 戠, which gives its sound; the simplified 职 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 职 →

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

能 is an old picture of a bear, showing two paws and a face with an open mouth.

Open 能 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Management

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