生物课 (shēng wù kè) — biology class; biology lesson | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

biology classbiology lesson

Measure word · 节

Examples

生物课。
Wǒ měi zhōu sān shàng wǔ yǒu liǎng jié shēng wù kè.
I have two biology classes on Wednesday mornings.
生物课，。
Zhè cì shēng wù kè de kǎo shì hěn nán, dàn wǒ kǎo dé bú cuò.
The exam for this biology class was very hard, but I did pretty well.
生物课，。
shēng wù kè De lǎo shī xìng lǐ, jiǎng kè hěn yǒu qù.
The teacher of the biology class is surnamed Li and gives very interesting lectures.

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.

生物living things

生shēnglife物wùthing

偏正Modifier + head

生物 (living things) plus 课 (class) means a biology lesson.

Characters in this word

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

屮屮chèbud
一一yīground

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

牛勿物

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

勿

勿wù物wù

Same sound today

物 puts 牛 beside 勿: 牛 gives the meaning, and 勿 gives 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 課; 课 is its simplified writing.

言果課

Meaning part形符xíngfú

言言yánto say

Sound part声符shēngfú

果

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.

Appears in

Biology School & Education

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