同窗 (tóng chuāng) — schoolmate (formal, literary)

Definition

Literary/formal word for 'schoolmate' — classmate from the same school, used mainly in writing, letters, or nostalgic speech. 比 同学 more formal and old-fashioned.

noun
schoolmate (formal, literary)
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 同窗，。
    Tā shì wǒ dà xué shí qī de tóng chuāng, bì yè hòu zài méi jiàn guò.
    He was my schoolmate from university; I haven't seen him since graduation.
  • 同窗，。
    Zhì wǒ de lǎo tóng chuāng, jǐn yǐ cǐ xìn biǎo dá duì wǎng rì de huái niàn.
    To my old schoolmate, I write this letter to express my nostalgia for the past.
  • 同窗。
    Zhè cì tóng chuāng jù huì ràng wǒ men chóng wēn le qīng chūn suì yuè.
    This schoolmate reunion allowed us to relive our youthful days.

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.

同tóngsame
窗chuāngwindow

It pictures schoolmates as sharing the same 窗, where 同 marks sameness.

Characters in this word

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

同 originally drew a pipe. It is the old form of 筒.

Open 同 →

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

窗 combines 穴 (hole) with 囱 (window), giving the sense of an opening used as a window.

Open 窗 →

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