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学期 (xué qī) — semester, term

Definition

学期 is one of two or three terms that make up an academic year (学年). It refers specifically to a semester or school term, not a contract clause (条款) or a fixed time limit (年限).

noun
semesterterm
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 学期。
    Zhè ge xué qī yǒu shí bā zhōu.
    This semester has eighteen weeks.
  • 学期？
    Xià gè xué qī nǐ xué shén me kè?
    What courses are you taking next semester?
  • 。
    Shàng xué qī de kǎo shì hěn nán.
    Last semester's exam was very difficult.

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.

学xuéstudy
期qīperiod

学 (study) and 期 (period) form a period of study.

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 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 →

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
日日rì
Sound part声符shēngfú
其
其qí期qī
Same sound today

The original form paired 其 for its sound with 日 (sun). A related form changed that sun to 月, and this later developed into 期.

Open 期 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 3HSK 2.0 Level 5School & Education

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