校训 (xiào xùn) — school motto | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

school motto

校训“”。
Wǒ men xué xiào de xiào xùn shì "zì qiáng bù xī".
Our school's motto is "Strive continuously."
校训。
Měi gè xué shēng dōu yīng gāi láo jì xué xiào de xiào xùn.
Every student should keep the school motto in mind.
校训。
Zhè suǒ dà xué de xiào xùn qiáng diào chuàng xīn yǔ hé zuò.
This university's motto emphasizes innovation and cooperation.

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.

校 is school and 训 is a motto or teaching, giving a school motto.

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.

木交校

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

交

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

校 is built from 木 (tree) on the left and 交 on the right, which supplies the sound.

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 訓; 训 is its simplified writing.

言川訓

Meaning part形符xíngfú

言言yánspeech

Sound part声符shēngfú

川

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 训, the traditional form 訓 puts 言 (speech) beside 川, a sound part, and conveys preaching a teaching.