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学问 (xué wen) — learning, knowledge

Definition

学问 is scholarly learning or knowledge — a person 'has' it (学问深). Stronger and more literary than the everyday 知识; closer to 学识, but 学问 can also refer to a field of study.

noun
learningknowledge
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 学问。
    Zhè wèi jiào shòu xué wen hěn shēn.
    This professor has profound knowledge.
  • 学问。
    Tā yì shēng dōu zài zuò xué wen.
    He spent his whole life pursuing learning.
  • 学问。
    Wǒ jué de zhè shì yì mén yǒu yòng de xué wen.
    I think this is a useful field of study.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

学xuéstudy
问wènask

学 (study) and 问 (ask) together denote learning and knowledge.

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 問; 问 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
門
門mén問wèn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 問 combines 口 (mouth) with 門, which gives the sound; the simplified 问 is a later shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 问 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 5School & Education

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