档案

• Pinyin: dàng àn
• Hanzi breakdown: 档 = 木 (wood) + 当; 案 = 宀 (roof) + 女 (woman) + 木 (wood)

Meaning

Files; records; archives; dossier. Organized collections of documents or data.

Refers to official records, especially personal files maintained by organizations. In China, every citizen has a personnel file (人事档案) tracking education, employment, and political background. Also used for any systematic collection of documents.

Examples

1. 毕业后档案会被转到工作单位保管。 After graduation, your file will be transferred to your employer for safekeeping.
2. 警方正在调查这个案件的相关档案。 The police are investigating the relevant files for this case.
3. 这些历史档案对研究那个时代非常有价值。 These historical archives are very valuable for studying that era.

Usage Guide

Context: administration, records

Tone: formal

Do Say

• 我需要调取你的个人档案。(I need to retrieve your personal file.)
• 档案管理是一门专业学问。(Archives management is a specialized field.)

Don't Say

• 在中国，个人档案很重要，丢失档案会造成很多麻烦 (In China, personal files are very important — losing your file causes many problems)

Origin & History

Combines 档 (shelf/category) with 案 (desk/case), originally referring to documents stored on shelves.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal