教具 (jiào jù) — teaching aids; teaching materials

Definition

noun

teaching aidsteaching materials

Measure word · 件

教具。
Lǎo shī mǎi le xǔ duō xīn de jiào jù.
The teacher bought many new teaching aids.
教具。
Zhè xiē jiào jù kě yǐ bāng zhù xué shēng gèng hǎo dì lǐ jiě kè wén.
These teaching aids can help students better understand the text.
教具。
Zhì zuò jiǎn dān de jiào jù bìng bù xū yào tài duō shí jiān.
Making simple teaching aids doesn't require too much time.

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.

教 marks teaching and 具 means tool, so the word names tools used in 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.

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

具 pairs 廾 (two hands) with 鼎 (a cauldron), showing hands working with a cauldron to prepare food.