任课 (rèn kè) — to teach a course

Definition

Formal verb meaning 'to teach a course', used in academic contexts (often as 任课老师, 任课教师). Unlike 上课 (attend/teach a class), 任课 emphasizes the assigned teaching role for a specific course.

verb
to teach a course

Examples

  • 任课。
    Tā zài zhè suǒ dà xué rèn kè.
    He teaches a course at this university.
  • 。
    Tā zài běi jīng dà xué rèn le sān mén kè.
    He taught three courses at Peking University.
  • 任课。
    Zhè wèi lǎo shī jīn nián bú rèn kè le.
    This teacher isn't teaching a course this 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 on
课kècourse

Taking on combines with course to mean teach a course.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 課; 课 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánto say
Sound part声符shēngfú
果
果guǒ課kè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 課 pairs 言 (to say) with 果 as a sound part; the simplified 课 is a shorthand and its right side is not a sound part.

Open 课 →

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