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速成 (sù chéng) — fast-track, intensive (educational program or training)

Definition

Describes a course, class, or method designed to teach a skill very quickly — usually by skipping the usual slow, step-by-step process.

adjective
fast-trackintensive (educational program or training)

Examples

  • ，。
    Tā bào le yí gè sù chéng bān, sān gè yuè jiù xué huì le.
    He signed up for a fast-track class and learned it in three months.
  • 速成。
    Zhè zhǒng sù chéng kè chéng shì hé shí jiān jǐn zhāng de shàng bān zú.
    This kind of intensive course suits office workers with tight schedules.
  • 速成。
    Yǔ yán xué xí méi yǒu zhēn zhèng de sù chéng fāng fǎ.
    There is no real shortcut method for language learning.

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.

速sùfast
成chéngcomplete

速 means fast and 成 means complete, so it describes finishing something quickly.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
束
束shù速sù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

速 pairs 辵, the walking part, with 束, which is used for its sound; the walking part fits the meaning of moving fast.

Open 速 →

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
戊戊wù
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng成chéng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

成 puts 戊, a weapon, beside 丁, which gives the sound. The weapon part relates to protection, as in the old sense of city walls.

Open 成 →
Appears in
School & Education

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