初学 (chū xué) — to begin learning; to be a novice at

Definition

verb

to begin learningto be a novice at

初学，。
Wǒ chū xué shū fǎ, měi tiān liàn xí yí gè xiǎo shí.
I'm beginning to learn calligraphy and practice for an hour every day.
初学，。
Tā chū xué rì yǔ, yǐ jīng néng kàn dǒng jiǎn dān de wén zhāng le.
She's just started learning Japanese and can already read simple articles.
初学，。
Gāng kāi shǐ chū xué de shí hou, bú yào zháo jí.
Don't be impatient when you're just beginning to learn.

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.

初 (first) and 学 (learn) combine to mean begin to study or a beginner.

Characters in this word

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

衤刀初

初 combines 衤 (clothes) and 刀 (knife), showing the start of making clothes by cutting cloth.

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.