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学说 (xué shuō) — theory, doctrine

Definition

学说 (xuéshuō) is a 'theory' or 'doctrine' — a systematic set of ideas proposed by a thinker or school, often translated through experiment or influence. Contrast with 主义 (a broader ‑ism/ideology) and 教条 (rigid, outdated dogma).

noun
theorydoctrine

Examples

  • 学说。
    Zhè ge xué shuō shì kǒng zǐ tí chū de.
    This doctrine was put forward by Confucius.
  • 学说。
    Tā de xué shuō yǐng xiǎng le hěn duō dài rén.
    His theory has influenced many generations.
  • 学说。
    Wǒ men xū yào tōng guò shí yàn lái yàn zhèng zhè ge xué shuō.
    We need to verify this theory through experiments.

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xuélearning
说shuōtheory

学 is learning and 说 is a theory or saying, so 学说 is a body of learning expressed as a theory.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 說; 说 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
兌
兌duì說shuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 說 pairs 言 (meaning) with 兌 (sound); the simplified 说 is not the form described here.

Open 说 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Science (General)

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