候教 (hòu jiāo) — (formal written phrase) to await your instructions; to await your correction or teaching

Definition

A highly formal, written phrase meaning 'I await your correction or teaching.' Used as a humble self-deprecating closing in scholarly or classical-style writing.

idiom
(formal written phrase) to await your instructionsto await your correction or teaching

Examples

  • ，，候教。
    Yǐ shàng shì wǒ de zhuō jiàn, rú yǒu bù tuǒ, suí shí hòu jiāo.
    Those are my humble opinions; if anything is inappropriate, I await your correction at any time.
  • ，候教。
    Xué shēng cái shū xué qiǎn, wéi yuàn hòu jiāo.
    Your student is of limited talent and learning; I only wish to await your instruction.
  • ，候教。
    Běn rén bù chuǎi mào mèi, jìng jǐn hòu jiāo.
    Presuming upon your kindness, I respectfully await your teaching.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

候hòuawait
教jiàoinstruction

候 means to wait, and 教 means instruction, giving the sense of awaiting instruction.

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rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
矦
矦hóu候hòu
Same sound today

候 combines 亻, relating to people, with 矦, which gives the sound.

Open 候 →

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 →

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