Definitions
(verb)
to dispatch; to send
(noun)
clique; faction; school of thought
(verb)
to assign; to appoint
Etymology
Depicts the water (氵) in a river flowing into different branches (𠂢). The meaning later expanded to "faction", "school of thought", and "style".
About
The character "派" originates from a pictographic concept of water branching into tributaries, a meaning still suggested by its water radical (氵) on the left. Its right-hand component historically contributed to both the sound and the idea of division or dispersion. From this concrete foundation of flowing water separating into distinct streams, its meaning broadened metaphorically to denote any form of branching off, such as the formation of factions or schools of thought within a group or ideology. This conceptual extension further allowed it to apply to the dispatchment of people, as in sending someone off on a branch from a main group, and to describe distinctive styles or manners, as in a school or "派" of art.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
妈妈派我买水果。
公司派他来帮忙。
这个派别很受欢迎。
他的新房子很气派。
学校派学生参加活动。
艺术有很多不同流派。
政府派专家调查问题。
在政治中，派系斗争常发生。