政府

• Pinyin: zhèng fǔ
• Hanzi breakdown: 政 = 正 (correct/upright) + 攴 (to strike/act), to administer; 府 = 广 (shelter) + 付 (hand over), an official building

Meaning

Government. The body of people that governs a country, region, or city.

Used to refer to the governing authority at national, provincial, or local level. 中央政府 is the central government; 地方政府 is the local government. The term is neutral and descriptive, used in both formal documents and everyday speech.

Examples

1. 政府出台了一系列新政策，鼓励企业加大创新投入。 The government introduced a series of new policies to encourage companies to increase investment in innovation.
2. 市政府决定在城区东部建设一个新的公共图书馆。 The city government decided to build a new public library in the eastern part of the urban area.
3. 各国政府正在积极合作，共同应对气候变化问题。 Governments around the world are actively cooperating to address climate change.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, news, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 政府已经拨出专项资金用于灾区重建工作。(The government has allocated special funds for reconstruction in the disaster area.)
• 公众对政府的新税收政策反应不一。(The public's reactions to the government's new tax policy are mixed.)

Don't Say

• 把'政府'与'政党'混用 (Don't confuse 政府 (government) with 政党 (political party) — 政府 refers to the governing body as a whole, while 政党 refers to a specific political organisation)

Origin & History

From 政 (to govern, 正 correct + 攴 to act) and 府 (government office, 广 shelter + 付 to hand over), literally 'the office of governance'.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal