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任教 (rèn jiào) — to hold a teaching post, to teach (as a profession)

Definition

任教 means to hold a teaching position, usually at a school or university. It focuses on the professional role, not the act of giving a lesson (上课) — so you 任教 at an institution, rather than 任教 a subject.

verb
to hold a teaching postto teach (as a profession)

Examples

  • 任教。
    Tā zài dà xué rèn jiào yǐ jīng shí nián le.
    He has been teaching at the university for ten years.
  • 。
    Tā zài zhè suǒ xué xiào rèn guò sān nián jiào.
    She taught at this school for three years.
  • 任教。
    Wǒ dǎ suàn qù nóng cūn rèn jiào yì nián.
    I plan to go to the countryside and teach for one year.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

任rèntake up
教jiàoteaching

任 means to take up a post, and 教 means teaching, so the meaning is to hold a teaching post.

Characters in this word

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
壬
壬rén任rèn
Same sound today

任 pairs 亻, a person, with 壬, which may picture a shoulder pole turned sideways.

Open 任 →

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
子子zǐchild
攵Written in full as攴pūteaching cane; stick that represents authority
Sound part声符shēngfú
爻
爻yáo教jiào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

教 uses 爻 for its sound and puts 子 (child) with 攵 (攴), a teaching cane, to show teaching a child.

Open 教 →
Appears in
Professions & JobsSchool & Education

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