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科学家 (kē xué jiā) — scientist

Definition

noun
scientist
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 科学家。
    Zhè wèi kē xué jiā huò dé le nuò bèi ěr jiǎng.
    This scientist won the Nobel Prize.
  • 科学家。
    Xǔ duō nián qīng de kē xué jiā dōu zài nǔ lì yán jiū qì hòu biàn huà.
    Many young scientists are working hard to study climate change.
  • 科学家。
    Zhè xiē kē xué jiā yì qǐ hé zuò jiě jué le yí gè nán tí.
    These scientists worked together to solve a difficult problem.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

科学science
科kēsubject学xuéstudy
偏正Modifier + head
家jiāperson

科学 and 家 combine to name a person who works in science.

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
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 學; 学 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 學 may have used 爻 and 六 for sound, with hands and a child added later; the simplified 学 is a shorthand.

Open 学 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

Open 家 →
Appears in
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