伪科学 (wěi kē xué) — pseudoscience

Definition

Pseudo-science: claims or practices presented as scientific but lacking rigorous evidence or methodology. Built from 伪 ('false/pseudo-') + 科学 ('science'); contrast with 科学, which denotes genuine science.

noun
pseudoscience

Examples

  • 伪科学，。
    Mǒu xiē chuán tǒng liáo fǎ bèi pī píng wèi wěi kē xué, yīn wèi quē fá kē xué zhèng jù.
    Some traditional therapies are criticized as pseudoscience because they lack scientific evidence.
  • 伪科学，。
    Kē xué jiā jiào yù gōng zhòng shí bié wěi kē xué, fáng zhǐ tā wēi hài shè huì.
    Scientists educate the public to identify pseudoscience and prevent it from harming society.
  • ，伪科学。
    Tā gòu mǎi chǎn pǐn qián zǒng huì chá zī liào, bì miǎn bèi wěi kē xué wù dǎo.
    Before buying a product, he always checks information to avoid being misled by pseudoscience.

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.

伪wěifake
科学science
科kēsubject学xuéstudy
偏正Modifier + head

伪 adds the sense of being false to 科学, giving claims that present themselves as science.

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 偽; 伪 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
為
為wéi偽wěi
Same sound today

The modern 伪 comes from the traditional form 偽, where 亻 (man) marks the idea as about a person and 為 gives the sound and means “to make”; together they originally meant “artificial”.

Open 伪 →

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
斗斗dòumeasuring tool
Sound part声符shēngfú
禾
禾hé科kē
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

科 pairs 禾, which gives the hé sound, with 斗, a measuring tool.

Open 科 →

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 學; 学 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 學 may have used 爻 and 六 for sound, with hands and a child added later; the simplified 学 is a shorthand.

Open 学 →

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