后进生 (hòu jìn shēng) — underachieving student; student who is falling behind academically

Definition

A school-context term for a student who lags behind academically and needs extra help — not just 'slower to learn' but actively falling behind peers.

noun
underachieving studentstudent who is falling behind academically
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 后进生。
    Lǎo shī huā le hěn duō shí jiān bāng zhù hòu jìn shēng tí gāo chéng jì.
    The teacher spent a lot of time helping underachieving students improve their grades.
  • 后进生。
    hòu jìn shēng Tóng yàng xū yào gǔ lì hé nài xīn.
    Underachieving students also need encouragement and patience.
  • 后进生，。
    Tā céng jīng shì gè hòu jìn shēng, dàn tōng guò nǔ lì gǎn shàng le dà jiā.
    He used to be an underachieving student, but through hard work he caught up with everyone.

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.

后进behind in progress
后hòubehind进jìnprogress
偏正Modifier + head
生shēngstudent

后进 describes a 生 who is behind in progress.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 後; 后 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 後 showed 夊 (foot) bound by 幺 (thread), a foot caught by a rope and lagging behind; the simplified 后 is a later abbreviation, and 后 also has a different meaning.

Open 后 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 進; 进 is its simplified writing.

  • 辵辵chuòwalk
  • 隹隹zhuīshort-tail bird

The traditional form 進 pairs 辵 (walk) with 隹 (short-tail bird): the picture showed moving forward because a bird can only walk forward, not backward. The simplified 进 is a later shorthand.

Open 进 →

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

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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