调查局 (diào chá jú) — bureau of investigation | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

bureau of investigation

Measure word · 个

Examples

调查局。
Tā zài diào chá jú gōng zuò.
He works at the bureau of investigation.
调查局。
diào chá jú Zhèng zài jìn xíng diào chá.
The bureau of investigation is conducting an investigation.
调查局。
Zhè ge àn jiàn yóu diào chá jú fù zé.
This case is handled by the bureau of investigation.

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.

调查investigate

调tiáoinvestigate查cháexamine

联合Coordinate

局júbureau

调查 gives 'investigate', and 局 gives 'bureau', making an investigation bureau.

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 調; 调 is its simplified writing.

言周調

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

周

周zhōu調tiáo

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

The traditional form 調 pairs 言 (speech) with 周, which shows how it was pronounced. The simplified 调 is a later shorthand.

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

木木mùwood

Sound part声符shēngfú

且

且qiě查chá

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

查 pairs 木 (wood) with 且, which shows the sound. It originally meant a hawthorn tree or a wooden raft.

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.

Appears in

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