主讲 (zhǔ jiǎng) — to be the main speaker; to give a lecture as the principal speaker

Definition

主讲 names the role of the principal speaker or lecturer — the person leading the talk, not just any speaker. Often used in event or course contexts (e.g. 这门课由…主讲).

verb
to be the main speakerto give a lecture as the principal speaker

Examples

  • 主讲。
    Tā xià zhōu jiāng zhǔ jiǎng yì chǎng guān yú rén gōng zhì néng de jiǎng zuò.
    He will be the main speaker for a lecture on artificial intelligence next week.
  • 主讲。
    Zhè cì lùn tán yāo qǐng le sān wèi zhuān jiā zhǔ jiǎng.
    This forum invited three experts to give lectures as the main speakers.
  • 主讲。
    Zhè mén kè yóu wáng jiào shòu zhǔ jiǎng.
    This course is taught by Professor Wang as the main speaker.

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.

主zhǔmain
讲jiǎnglecture

主 (“main”) + 讲 (“lecture”) means to lecture as the main speaker.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The old forms that became 主 showed a lamp or torch with a flame at the top; other forms showed wood on fire or a spirit tablet.

Open 主 →

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 講; 讲 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsay
Sound part声符shēngfú
冓
冓gòu講jiǎng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 講 puts 言, say, beside 冓, which gave it its sound; the simplified 讲 is a later abbreviation.

Open 讲 →

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