体操课 (tǐ cāo kè) — gymnastics class, gymnastics lesson

Definition

noun
gymnastics classgymnastics lesson
Measure word · 节

Examples

  • 体操课。
    Wǒ měi zhōu sān xià wǔ yǒu tǐ cāo kè.
    I have gymnastics class every Wednesday afternoon.
  • 体操课。
    Zhè jié tǐ cāo kè de lǎo shī hěn zhuān yè.
    The teacher of this gymnastics class is very professional.
  • 体操课？
    Nǐ xué guò tǐ cāo kè ma?
    Have you taken a gymnastics class before?

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.

体操gymnastics
体tǐbody操cāoexercise
偏正Modifier + head
课kèclass

The 体 body and 操 exercise make 体操, which names a 课 class.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 體; 体 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
骨骨gǔbone
Sound part声符shēngfú
豊
豊lǐ體tǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 體 pairs 骨 (bone) with 豊 as a sound part; this note is about 體, not about the parts of 体.

Open 体 →

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
喿
喿zào操cāo
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 手 shows a hand, indicating an action done by hand. The right part 喿 gives the sound.

Open 操 →

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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