初中 (chū zhōng) — junior high school (abbreviation for 初级中学)

Definition

Junior high school, the three years between primary school and 高中. Pairs with 高中 (senior high): 初中 covers roughly ages 12–15, 高中 ages 15–18.

noun

junior high school (abbreviation for 初级中学)

Measure word · 所

Easily confused

初中。
Wǒ jīn nián chū zhōng bì yè.
I graduate from junior high school this year.
初中。
Tā shì wǒ chū zhōng de tóng xué.
He is my classmate from junior high school.
初中？
Nǐ chū zhōng zài nǎ ge xué xiào shàng de?
Which school did you attend for junior high school?

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.

中zhōngmiddle school

初 means junior, and 中 stands for middle school; together it names junior high school.

Characters in this word

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

衤刀初

初 combines 衤 (clothes) and 刀 (knife), showing the start of making clothes by cutting cloth.

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

The original picture showed a flagpole with a drum in the middle, set up in the center of a field.

Appears in