馆员 (guǎn yuán) — staff member (of a library, museum, or other cu…

Definition

noun

staff member (of a library, museum, or other cultural institution)

Measure word · 位

馆员。
Zhè wèi guǎn yuán bāng wǒ zhǎo dào le nà běn jiù shū.
This staff member helped me find that old book.
馆员。
Bó wù guǎn de guǎn yuán zhèng zài gěi yóu kè jiè shào zhǎn pǐn.
The museum staff member is introducing the exhibits to the visitors.
馆员。
Dàng àn guǎn de guǎn yuán xū yào jù bèi zhuān yè zhī shi.
Archives staff members need to have professional knowledge.

Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

馆guǎninstitution

员yuánperson/member

'馆' names the institution and '员' denotes a person attached to it.

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 館; 馆 is its simplified writing.

飠官館

Meaning part形符xíngfú

飠Written in full as食shí

Sound part声符shēngfú

官

Same sound today

The traditional form 館 is made of 食, written as 飠 on the left, and 官 on the right; 官 provides the sound. The simplified 馆 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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 員; 员 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

〇

〇líng員yuán

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

In the traditional form 員, 〇 supplies the sound and 鼎 supplies the meaning; the simplified 员 is a shortened form.