客座教授 (kè zuò jiào shòu) — visiting professor; adjunct professor | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A professor invited from another university for a limited term, not a permanent faculty member. The visiting role is what makes 客座 different from a regular 教授.

noun

visiting professoradjunct professor

Measure word · 位

Examples

客座教授。
Zhè wèi kè zuò jiào shòu lái zì měi guó hā fó dà xué.
This visiting professor comes from Harvard University in the US.
客座教授。
Xué xiào jīn nián pìn qǐng le wǔ wèi kè zuò jiào shòu.
The school hired five visiting professors this year.
客座教授。
Tā zài qīng huá dāng le yì xué qī kè zuò jiào shòu.
He served as a visiting professor at Tsinghua for one semester.

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.

客座guest seat

客kèguest座zuòseat

偏正Modifier + head

教授professor

教jiàoteach授shòuinstruct

联合Side by side

客 and 座 suggest a guest seat, while 教 and 授 give teaching, so 客座教授 denotes a professor invited for a guest position.

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.

宀各客

Meaning part形符xíngfú

宀宀miánroof

Sound part声符shēngfú

各

各gè客kè

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 客, 宀 is a roof and 各 gives the sound; the character meant a guest.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

广坐座

Meaning part形符xíngfú

广广guǎnghouse on cliff

Sound part声符shēngfú

坐

坐zuò座zuò

Same sound today

座 pairs 广, a house on a cliff, with 坐 to give the sound.

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

子子zǐchild

攵Written in full as攴pūteaching cane; stick that represents authority

Sound part声符shēngfú

爻

爻yáo教jiào

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

教 uses 爻 for its sound and puts 子 (child) with 攵 (攴), a teaching cane, to show teaching a child.

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

手手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

受

受shòu授shòu

Same sound today

授 is built from 手 and 受. 受 gives the sound, and 手 is a hand.

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