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课堂 (kè táng) — classroom (as a learning setting / lesson context)

Definition

课堂 refers to the classroom as a teaching-and-learning setting (lessons, discussion), while 教室 is just the physical room. Use 课 for a single class period or subject.

noun
classroom (as a learning setting / lesson context)
Measure word · 间

Examples

  • 课堂。
    Wǒ men zài kè táng shàng xué dào le hěn duō zhī shi.
    We learned a lot of knowledge in class.
  • 课堂，。
    Zhè jiān kè táng hěn dà, néng zuò wǔ shí gè xué shēng.
    This classroom is very big; it can seat fifty students.
  • 课堂。
    Lǎo shī ràng xué shēng men zài kè táng lǐ tǎo lùn wèn tí.
    The teacher had the students discuss questions in the classroom.

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.

课kèlesson
堂tánghall

课 lesson and 堂 hall combine to mean the hall where lessons are held, a classroom.

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 課; 课 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánto say
Sound part声符shēngfú
果
果guǒ課kè
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.

Open 课 →

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
土土tǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng堂táng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

堂 uses 土 as a ground/earth part and 尚 for sound.

Open 堂 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4Classroom & Study

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