选择题 (xuǎn zé tí) — multiple-choice question

Definition

noun
multiple-choice question
Measure word · 道

Examples

  • 选择题。
    Zhè cì kǎo shì yǒu hěn duō xuǎn zé tí.
    This exam has many multiple-choice questions.
  • 选择题。
    Zuò xuǎn zé tí de shí hou yào zǐ xì dú tí.
    When doing multiple-choice questions, you need to read the questions carefully.
  • 选择题。
    Lǎo shī chū le yí dào xuǎn zé tí ràng wǒ men xuǎn zhèng què dá àn.
    The teacher gave a multiple-choice question for us to choose the correct answer.

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.

选择choose
选xuǎnchoose择zéchoose
联合Side by side
题tíquestion

“选择” means choosing, and “题” means question, so the word names a multiple-choice question.

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 選; 选 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
止止zhǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
巽
巽xùn選xuǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 選 combines 止 with 巽, which gives the sound xùn; its sense of choosing is explained as rejecting or sending someone back. Simplified 选 is a shorthand.

Open 选 →

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 擇; 择 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
睪
睪yì擇zé
Same sound today

The traditional form 擇 has 手 (hand) for the meaning and 睪 for the sound; the simplified 择 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not historical.

Open 择 →

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 題; 题 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
是
是shì題tí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 题, the traditional form 題 uses 是 for sound and 頁 for head, and means 'forehead'.

Open 题 →

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