课桌 (kè zhuō) — classroom desk; school desk

Definition

noun

classroom deskschool desk

Measure word · 张

课桌。
Jiào shì lǐ yǒu sān shí zhāng kè zhuō.
There are thirty classroom desks in the classroom.
课桌。
Tā bǎ shū bāo fàng zài kè zhuō shàng.
He put his schoolbag on the desk.
课桌。
Zhè zhāng kè zhuō yǒu diǎn jiù le.
This classroom desk is a bit old.

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 gives class, and 桌 gives desk, meaning a desk used for 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 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.

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

桌 has 卓 on top, giving the sound and a sense of high, and 木 below, wood; the bottom of 卓 has merged into 木.

Appears in