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勤工俭学 (qín gōng jiǎn xué) — work-study program; part-time work while studying (especially to fund education)

Definition

A 'work-study' arrangement where students take a part-time job to pay for their studies. 勤 emphasizes diligent work; 俭 stresses frugality in study and living.

phrase
work-study programpart-time work while studying (especially to fund education)

Examples

  • 勤工俭学。
    Xué xiào wèi pín kùn shēng tí gōng le hěn duō qín gōng jiǎn xué gǎng wèi.
    The school provides many work-study positions for students in need.
  • 勤工俭学。
    Tā dà xué sì nián yì zhí kào qín gōng jiǎn xué zhuàn shēng huó fèi.
    He supported himself with a work-study program all four years of college.
  • 勤工俭学，。
    qín gōng jiǎn xué Bù jǐn néng jiǎn qīng jīng jì fù dān, hái néng jī lěi gōng zuò jīng yàn.
    Working while studying not only reduces the financial burden but also helps you gain work experience.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

勤工diligent work
勤qíndiligent工gōngwork
偏正Modifier + head
俭学frugal study
俭jiǎnfrugal学xuéstudy
偏正Modifier + head

勤 diligent, 工 work, 俭 frugal, 学 study; together 勤工俭学 means working while studying.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 勤 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 工 is a picture of a bladed tool used to plow ground or mark a border; some read it as a carpenter's square.

Open 工 →

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 儉; 俭 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
僉
僉qiān儉jiǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 儉 pairs 人 (person) with 僉 as a sound part; the simplified 俭 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 俭 →

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.

Open 学 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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