书院 (shū yuàn) — traditional academy of classical learning (Confucian scholarship and examination preparation); (archaic slang) brothel (rare, historical usage)

Definition

书院 (shūyuàn) is a traditional Confucian academy for classical study and civil-exam preparation, distinct from the modern 大学. The historical 'brothel' sense is archaic and not used in modern Chinese.

noun
traditional academy of classical learning (Confucian scholarship and examination preparation)(archaic slang) brothel (rare, historical usage)
Measure word · 所

Examples

  • 书院。
    Zhè zuò shū yuàn yǒu bā bǎi duō nián de lì shǐ le.
    This academy has a history of over eight hundred years.
  • 麓书院。
    Tā céng zài yuè lù shū yuàn dú shū.
    He once studied at Yuelu Academy.
  • 书院。
    Xiàn zài de dà xué lǐ yě yǒu shū yuàn zhì de jiào yù mó shì.
    Modern universities also have a college-system educational model.

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.

书shūbooks/classical learning
院yuànacademy/courtyard

书 (books/classical learning) narrows 院 (an institution) to a place of scholarship.

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 書; 书 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
聿聿yùwriting brush
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě書shū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 書 uses 聿, a writing brush, and 者 for its sound; the simplified 书 is a later shorthand.

Open 书 →

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
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
完
完wán院yuàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

院 is built from 阝, written in full as 阜, and 完, which gives the sound.

Open 院 →

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