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教书 (jiāo shū) — to teach (as a profession), to be a schoolteacher

Definition

教书 is a colloquial, intransitive verb meaning 'to teach (as a profession)' — it describes teaching as one's livelihood, not the act of teaching a specific subject (use 教 for that, e.g. 教中文).

verb
to teach (as a profession)to be a schoolteacher

Examples

  • 教书。
    Tā zài zhōng xué jiāo shū yǐ jīng èr shí nián le.
    He has been teaching at a middle school for twenty years.
  • ，。
    Lǐ lǎo shī jiào le èr shí jǐ nián shū, jīng yàn hěn fēng fù.
    Teacher Li has taught for over twenty years and is very experienced.
  • 教书？
    Nǐ bì yè yǐ hòu hái dǎ suàn jiāo shū ma?
    Do you still plan to teach after graduation?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

教jiàoto teach
书shūbooks

教, to teach, with 书, books, describes the profession of teaching.

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.

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.

Open 教 →

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 書; 书 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
聿聿yùwriting brush
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě書shū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 書 uses 聿, a writing brush, and 者 for its sound; the simplified 书 is a later shorthand.

Open 书 →
Appears in
School & Education

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