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教科书 (jiào kē shū) — textbook

Definition

Formal term for 'textbook', used for official or published school books. 课本 is the everyday classroom word; 教材 is broader, covering any teaching material.

noun
textbook
Measure word · 本

Examples

  • 教科书。
    Lǎo shī yòng zhè běn jiào kē shū shàng kè.
    The teacher uses this textbook in class.
  • 教科书。
    Tā zhèng zài xiě yì běn xīn de jiào kē shū.
    He is writing a new textbook.
  • 教科书。
    Zhè xiē jiào kē shū de nèi róng yǐ jīng guò shí le.
    The content of these textbooks is already outdated.

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.

教科teaching subject
教jiàoteach科kēsubject
偏正Modifier + head
书shūbook

教科 and 书 combine as a book for teaching subjects, hence textbook.

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
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 →

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
斗斗dòumeasuring tool
Sound part声符shēngfú
禾
禾hé科kē
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

科 pairs 禾, which gives the hé sound, with 斗, a measuring tool.

Open 科 →

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 書; 书 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
聿聿yùwriting brush
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě書shū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 書 uses 聿, a writing brush, and 者 for its sound; the simplified 书 is a later shorthand.

Open 书 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9School & EducationReading & Writing

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.