讲课 (jiǎng kè) — to teach a class, to give a lecture

Definition

讲课 is to teach or lecture in a class — emphasizes the act of giving a lesson. Pairs with 一节课 ('a class period'), not a specific subject.

verb

to teach a classto give a lecture

。
Jīn tiān jiǎng le yì jié kè.
I gave one class today.
讲课。
Tā měi zhōu jiǎng kè liǎng cì.
He teaches (classes) twice a week.
讲课。
Zhè wèi jiào shòu jiǎng kè jiǎng dé hěn hǎo.
This professor lectures very well.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

讲 means to lecture and 课 means class, so the word means to give a class.

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 講; 讲 is its simplified writing.

言冓講

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

冓

冓gòu講jiǎng

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

The traditional form 講 puts 言, say, beside 冓, which gave it its sound; the simplified 讲 is a later abbreviation.

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