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执教 (zhí jiāo) — to teach (at a school/university) or coach (a sports team); to serve as an instructor or coach

Definition

Means 'to teach' or 'coach' in a formal, professional sense — typically used for a teacher's post at a school or a coach's role with a team, not for casual giving of advice. More formal than the everyday 教.

verb
to teach (at a school/university) or coach (a sports team)to serve as an instructor or coach

Examples

  • 执教。
    Tā zài běi jīng dà xué zhí jiāo duō nián.
    He has taught at Peking University for many years.
  • 执教。
    Zhè wèi jiào liàn céng jīng zhí jiāo guó jiā duì.
    This coach once coached the national team.
  • 执教。
    Tā bì yè hòu liú zài mǔ xiào zhí jiāo.
    After graduation, she stayed at her alma mater to teach.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

执zhítake up
教jiàoteaching

执 (take up) and 教 (teaching) form 'take up teaching', i.e. teach or coach.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 執; 执 is its simplified writing.

  • 㚔㚔㚔criminal / handcuffs
  • 丮丮jǐhand

The traditional form 執 shows 㚔, a handcuffed criminal, with 丮, a hand, giving the idea of arrest. The simplified 执 is a later shorthand, so its current parts are not the original pieces.

Open 执 →

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
子子zǐchild
攵Written in full as攴pūteaching cane; stick that represents authority
Sound part声符shēngfú
爻
爻yáo教jiào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

教 uses 爻 for its sound and puts 子 (child) with 攵 (攴), a teaching cane, to show teaching a child.

Open 教 →
Appears in
Professions & JobsSchool & Education

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