百科 (bǎi kē) — encyclopedia | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

encyclopedia

Examples

百科。
Wǒ zài wǎng shàng chá le bǎi kē.
I looked it up in an encyclopedia online.
百科。
Zhè běn bǎi kē shōu lù le hěn duō zhī shi.
This encyclopedia contains a lot of knowledge.
百科。
Tā xǐ huan kàn bǎi kē jié mù.
He likes watching encyclopedic programs.

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.

科kēsubject

百 means many or all kinds and 科 means subject, together naming a work covering many subjects.

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.

一白百

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

白

白bái百bǎi

Same sound today

百 combines 一, which carries the number meaning, with 白, which provides the sound.

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

禾斗科

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.

Appears in

Reading & Writing

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