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读书 (dú shū) — to read (a book); to study; to attend school

Definition

Use 读书 for 'to read (books)' or 'to study/attend school' as a casual everyday phrase. 看 is more general (look at/watch), 学习 focuses on learning, and 上学 means specifically going to school.

verb
to read (a book)to studyto attend school

Examples

  • 。
    Wǒ dú le yì běn shū.
    I read a book.
  • 读书。
    Wǒ míng tiān yào dú shū.
    I want to study tomorrow.
  • 读书。
    Tā zài xué xiào dú shū.
    She studies at school.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

读dúread
书shūbook

读 means read, 书 means book, so together they mean to read or 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 讀; 读 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánto say
Sound part声符shēngfú
𧶠
𧶠𧶠讀dú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 讀 is made of 言 ('to say') and 𧶠 (giving the sound); this description is about 讀, not 读.

Open 读 →

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 書; 书 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
聿聿yùwriting brush
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě書shū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 書 uses 聿, a writing brush, and 者 for its sound; the simplified 书 is a later shorthand.

Open 书 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 1School & EducationReading & Writing5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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