部长

• Pinyin: bù zhǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 部 = 咅 (phonetic) + 阝(division); 长 = simplified from 長, originally depicting a person with long hair, meaning chief or senior

Meaning

Minister; department head. The leader of a government ministry or organisational department.

In government contexts, refers to a minister who heads a ministry (e.g., 教育部长 Minister of Education). In corporate settings, can refer to a department manager or director. A formal title used in professional and political contexts.

Examples

1. 教育部长在会议上发表了重要讲话。 The Minister of Education gave an important speech at the meeting.
2. 新任部长下周一正式上任。 The newly appointed minister will officially take office next Monday.
3. 部长决定下个月去几个城市考察。 The minister decided to visit several cities for inspection next month.

Usage Guide

Context: government, politics, work

Tone: respectful

Do Say

• 王部长，请您讲几句话。(Minister Wang, please say a few words.)
• 部长参加了今天的会议。(The minister attended today's meeting.)

Don't Say

• 在小公司里叫同事部长 (In small companies, don't use 部长 for a team lead — use 主管 or 经理 instead; 部长 implies a large organisation or government)

Origin & History

Compound of 部 (department/ministry) and 长 (chief/head), literally meaning 'head of a department.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal