大课 (dà kè) — a large class; lecture given to many students (usually in a university setting)

Definition

A 大课 is a large lecture-style class (typically university-level) with many students, usually contrasted with 小班 (small class). Implies limited interaction — primarily listening rather than discussion.

noun
a large classlecture given to many students (usually in a university setting)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 大课，。
    Zhè xué qī wǒ xuǎn le yì mén dà kè, měi tiān dōu yào zǎo qǐ zhàn zuò wèi.
    This semester I chose a large class and have to get up early every day to save seats.
  • 大课，。
    dà kè De yōu diǎn shì néng tīng dào bù tóng lǎo shī de guān diǎn, dàn tǎo lùn jī huì shǎo.
    The advantage of large lectures is being able to hear different teachers' viewpoints, but there are few discussion opportunities.
  • ，大课。
    Tā gèng shì yìng xiǎo bān jiào xué, bù xǐ huan dà kè nà zhǒng rén duō cáo zá de huán jìng.
    He is more suited to small-class teaching and doesn't like the noisy environment of large lectures.

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.

大dàbig
课kèclass

大 'big' plus 课 'class' names a large class or lecture.

Characters in this word

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

The form 大 is a picture of a person standing and facing forward, not of someone stretching their arms.

Open 大 →

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 課; 课 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánto say
Sound part声符shēngfú
果
果guǒ課kè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 課 pairs 言 (to say) with 果 as a sound part; the simplified 课 is a shorthand and its right side is not a sound part.

Open 课 →

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