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常识 (cháng shí) — common sense; general knowledge

Definition

常识 is everyday common sense — the basic, generally known facts people rely on without study. Unlike 知识 (broader learned knowledge) or 常理 (general moral/principled reasoning), 常识 is about practical, down-to-earth know-how.

noun
common sensegeneral knowledge
Measure word · 门
Easily confused

Examples

  • 常识。
    Xué xí cháng shí duì rì cháng shēng huó hěn yǒu bāng zhù.
    Learning common sense is very helpful for daily life.
  • 常识，。
    Tā quē fá jī běn de cháng shí, suǒ yǐ jīng cháng fàn cuò wù.
    He lacks basic common sense, so he often makes mistakes.
  • 常识。
    Zhè mén cháng shí shì měi gè xué shēng dōu yīng gāi zhī dào de.
    This subject of common sense is something every student should know.

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.

常chángcommon
识shíknowledge

常 means usual or common, 识 means knowledge; together they give common 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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
巾巾jīncloth
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng常cháng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

常 pairs 巾, a cloth, with 尚 as a sound part; the form originally referred to a lower garment.

Open 常 →

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 識; 识 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsay
Sound part声符shēngfú
戠
戠zhí識zhì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 識 pairs 言 (say) with 戠 as a sound part; the simplified 识 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 识 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5Abstract Concepts

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