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学究 (xué jiū) — (derogatory) pedant; bookish person out of touch with reality; (historical) master of a private school

Definition

A bookish person, usually 老学究, who quotes classics and ignores practical reality — a mildly mocking term. The historical sense 'master of a private school' (often in 私塾) is dated.

noun
(derogatory) pedantbookish person out of touch with reality(historical) master of a private school
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 学究，。
    Tā shuō huà xiàng lǎo xué jiū yí yàng, mǎn kǒu zhī hū zhě yě.
    He talks like an old pedant, full of classical phrases.
  • 学究，。
    Bié nà me xué jiū qì, shēng huó bú shì zhǐ yǒu shū běn.
    Don't be so pedantic — life isn't just about books.
  • 学究塾。
    Zhè wèi lǎo xué jiū jiào le yí bèi zi sī shú.
    This old private-school teacher taught for a lifetime.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

学xuélearning
究jiūstudy

学 and 究 both concern learning and deep study, together suggesting a bookish person.

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 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 →

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
穴穴xuécave
Sound part声符shēngfú
九
九jiǔ究jiū
Same sound today

究 pairs 穴, a cave, with 九, which gives the sound.

Open 究 →
Appears in
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