必修课 (bì xiū kè) — required course; compulsory course

Definition

A 必修课 is a course students must take to graduate; 选修课 (xuǎnxiūkè) is its opposite — an optional/elective course.

noun
required coursecompulsory course
Measure word · 门

Examples

  • 必修课。
    Zhè shì wǒ men zhuān yè de bì xiū kè.
    This is a required course for our major.
  • 必修课。
    Zhè xué qī wǒ bì xū shàng sān mén bì xiū kè.
    I have to take three required courses this semester.
  • 必修课。
    Lǎo shī shuō zhè mén bì xiū kè hěn zhòng yào.
    The teacher said this required course is very important.

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.

必修required study
必bìmust修xiūstudy
偏正Modifier + head
课kècourse

“必” as must and “修” as study form required study, with “课” as course.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 必 comes from the handle on the right side of a weapon, with two extra strokes added to its sides.

Open 必 →

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
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
攸
攸yōu修xiū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

修 is built from 攸, which gives the sound, and 彡, a set of three strokes that shows the meaning.

Open 修 →

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 課; 课 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánto say
Sound part声符shēngfú
果
果guǒ課kè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 課 pairs 言 (to say) with 果 as a sound part; the simplified 课 is a shorthand and its right side is not a sound part.

Open 课 →

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