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补习班 (bǔ xí bān) — cram school, tutoring classes (after-school academic instruction)

Definition

noun
cram schooltutoring classes (after-school academic instruction)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 补习班。
    Tā měi gè zhōu mò dōu qù bǔ xí bān shàng kè.
    He goes to cram school every weekend.
  • 补习班，。
    Zhè suǒ bǔ xí bān de xué fèi hěn guì, dàn xiào guǒ hěn hǎo.
    This cram school's tuition is expensive, but the results are good.
  • ，补习班。
    Wèi le zhǔn bèi gāo kǎo, tā bào le yí gè bǔ xí bān.
    To prepare for the college entrance exam, she signed up for a cram school.

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.

补习supplementary study
补bǔmake up习xístudy
动宾Verb + object
班bānclass

补 and 习 mean making up study, and 班 is a class, giving a class for supplementary study.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 補; 补 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衤Written in full as衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
甫
甫fǔ補bǔ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 補 shows 衤 (clothes) beside 甫, which gives the sound; the simplified 补 is a later shorthand, so its shape is not the historical breakdown.

Open 补 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 習; 习 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 習 pairs 羽 (wings) with 日 (sun), showing a bird learning to fly; the simplified 习 is a later shorthand.

Open 习 →

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

  • 珏珏juépieces of jade
  • 刀刀dāoknife

班 shows 珏, pieces of jade, and 刀, a knife, cutting them into pieces.

Open 班 →
Appears in
School & Education

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