化学系 (huà xué xì) — department of chemistry

Definition

noun

department of chemistry

化学系。
Tā zài huà xué xì xué xí huà xué.
He studies chemistry in the department of chemistry.
化学系。
huà xué xì Yǒu hěn duō yōu xiù jiào shòu.
The chemistry department has many excellent professors.
化学系。
Tā bì yè yú běi jīng dà xué de huà xué xì.
He graduated from the chemistry department of Peking University.

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.

化学chemistry

偏正Modifier + head

系xìdepartment

化 suggests transformation, 学 study, and 系 department, giving the department of chemistry.

Characters in this word

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

化 shows two person figures, one upright and one upside down, to give the idea of reversal or change.

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.

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

系 is made by putting together 手 (hand) and 糸 (silk).