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长官 (zhǎng guān) — senior official, senior officer, commanding officer; sir (term of address for a senior officer)

Definition

A formal term for a high-ranking official or commanding officer, also used as a polite address ('sir') when speaking to one. More senior than 官员 and tied to a chain of command rather than civil administration.

noun
senior officialsenior officercommanding officersir (term of address for a senior officer)
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 长官。
    Zhè wèi zhǎng guān fù zé zhěng gè dì qū de ān quán.
    This senior official is responsible for the security of the entire region.
  • 长官，？
    zhǎng guān, Yǒu shén me zhǐ shì?
    Sir, what are your orders?
  • 长官。
    Tā zài jūn duì lǐ dāng le jǐ shí nián de zhǎng guān.
    He served as a commanding officer in the military for decades.

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.

长chángsenior
官guānofficial

长 as senior and 官 as official combine for a senior official.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Open 长 →

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

  • 宀宀mián
  • 𠂤𠂤𠂤

官 pairs 宀, a roof, with 𠂤, rooms beneath it, to depict an official building.

Open 官 →
Appears in
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