通讯社 (tōng xùn shè) — news agency; press agency

Definition

noun
news agencypress agency
Measure word · 家

Examples

  • 通讯社。
    Xīn huá shè shì zhōng guó zuì dà de tōng xùn shè.
    Xinhua is China's largest news agency.
  • 通讯社。
    Zhè jiā tōng xùn shè fā bù le yì zé zhòng yào xīn wén.
    This press agency released an important news item.
  • 通讯社。
    Xǔ duō jì zhě dōu zài tōng xùn shè gōng zuò.
    Many journalists work at a news agency.

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.

通讯transmit news
通tōngtransmit讯xùnnews
动宾Verb + object
社shèorganization

通讯 means transmit news; 社 means organization, giving a news organization.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng通tōng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

通 pairs 辶, a part associated with movement, with 甬, which gives the sound.

Open 通 →

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 訊; 讯 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
卂
卂xùn訊xùn
Same sound today

The traditional form 訊 combines 言 (words) with 卂 as a sound part; the simplified 讯 is a shorthand.

Open 讯 →

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

社 joins 示 (god; deity) and 土 (soil), so its shape is about the god of the land.

Open 社 →

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