cán sự

Vietnamese

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 幹事, composed of 幹 (“to do, perform”) and 事 (“thing, matter, task”), from Japanese 幹事 (kanji) and Middle Chinese 幹事 (MC kanH tsriH|dzriH).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [kaːn˧˦ sɨ˧˨ʔ]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [kaːŋ˦˧˥ ʂɨ˨˩ʔ] ~ [kaːŋ˦˧˥ sɨ˨˩ʔ]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [kaːŋ˦˥ ʂɨ˨˩˨] ~ [kaːŋ˦˥ sɨ˨˩˨]

Noun

cán sự • (幹事)

1. specialized official; committee member; (education) class monitor

   ban cán sự lớp ― class committee (literally, “group of class monitors”)

2. (job title) technician; lower specialist; junior administrator

   Coordinate term: chuyên viên (“senior specialist”)

Further reading

• “cán sự”, in Soha Tra Từ (in Vietnamese), Hanoi: Vietnam Communications Corporation.