专修 (zhuān xiū) — to specialize in (an academic subject)

Definition

专修 is the academic, formal verb 'to major in / specialize in' a field of study. Use it for university-level study, more committed than the everyday 选修 (electively take) or 辅修 (minor in).

verb
to specialize in (an academic subject)

Examples

  • 专修。
    Tā zài dà xué zhuān xiū jì suàn jī kē xué.
    He specializes in computer science at university.
  • 专修。
    Wǒ dǎ suàn zhuān xiū zhōng guó gǔ dài wén xué.
    I plan to specialize in ancient Chinese literature.
  • 专修。
    Zhè suǒ xué xiào de lǎo shī dà duō zhuān xiū yì mén zhuān yè.
    Most teachers at this school specialize in one subject.

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.

专zhuānspecial
修xiūstudy

专 (special) and 修 (study) combine to mean study in a specialized area.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 專; 专 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 專 shows 又, a hand, turning 叀, a spindle; this came to mean gathering several things into one.

Open 专 →

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
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
攸
攸yōu修xiū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

修 is built from 攸, which gives the sound, and 彡, a set of three strokes that shows the meaning.

Open 修 →

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