专科学校 (zhuān kē xué xiào) — vocational college, technical college; junior college (post-secondary institution offering associate degrees)

Definition

A post-secondary institution offering shorter (typically 2–3 year) vocational or associate-degree programs, as distinct from a full 大学. The focus is on practical/job-ready training rather than academic research.

noun
vocational collegetechnical collegejunior college (post-secondary institution offering associate degrees)
Measure word · 所

Examples

  • ，专科学校。
    Tā gāo zhōng bì yè hòu, qù le yì suǒ zhuān kē xué xiào xué xí jì suàn jī jì shù.
    After graduating from high school, he went to a vocational college to study computer technology.
  • 专科学校。
    Zhè suǒ zhuān kē xué xiào de bì yè shēng jiù yè lǜ hěn gāo.
    The employment rate of graduates from this vocational college is very high.
  • ，专科学校。
    Zài zhōng guó, zhuān kē xué xiào hé dà xué de zhǔ yào qū bié shì xué zhì bù tóng.
    In China, the main difference between junior colleges and universities is the length of the program.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

专科specialized subjects
专zhuānspecialized科kēsubject
偏正Modifier + head
学校school
学xuéstudy校xiàoinstitution
偏正Modifier + head

专 and 科 make specialized subjects, and 学 and 校 make a school; together they name a technical college.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 專; 专 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 專 shows 又, a hand, turning 叀, a spindle; this came to mean gathering several things into one.

Open 专 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
斗斗dòumeasuring tool
Sound part声符shēngfú
禾
禾hé科kē
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

科 pairs 禾, which gives the hé sound, with 斗, a measuring tool.

Open 科 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 學; 学 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 學 may have used 爻 and 六 for sound, with hands and a child added later; the simplified 学 is a shorthand.

Open 学 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
交
交jiāo校jiào
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

校 is built from 木 (tree) on the left and 交 on the right, which supplies the sound.

Open 校 →

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