责令 (zé lìng) — to order, to instruct (in an official capacity)

Definition

A formal verb meaning an authority (government, court, boss) issues a binding order that must be followed. Stronger than general 'instruct' — it carries the weight of an official directive with consequences for non-compliance.

verb
to orderto instruct (in an official capacity)

Examples

  • 责令。
    Zhèng fǔ zé lìng zhè jiā gōng chǎng lì jí tíng chǎn zhěng dùn.
    The government ordered this factory to stop production immediately for rectification.
  • 责令。
    Fǎ yuàn zé lìng tā péi cháng shòu hài zhě de quán bù sǔn shī.
    The court ordered him to compensate the victim for all losses.
  • 责令。
    Gōng sī zé lìng suǒ yǒu yuán gōng chóng xīn xué xí ān quán tiáo lì.
    The company instructed all employees to re-study the safety regulations.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

责zédemand
令lìngcommand

责 demand and 令 command together mean to order.

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 責; 责 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèicowry; money
Sound part声符shēngfú
朿
朿cì責zé
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 責 pairs 貝, cowry/money, with 朿 as the sound part; the simplified 责 is a later shorthand.

Open 责 →

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

  • 亼亼jí
  • 卩卩jié

In 令, the upper 亼 is an open mouth and the lower 卩 is a kneeling person, together showing someone giving orders.

Open 令 →

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