教师节 (Jiào shī jié) — Teacher's Day (September 10 in China)

Definition

A holiday in China on September 10 honoring teachers. Students and schools typically give flowers, cards, or hold celebrations to thank their teachers.

noun
Teacher's Day (September 10 in China)

Examples

  • 教师节，。
    Měi nián Jiào shī jié, xué shēng men dōu huì gěi lǎo shī sòng huā hé hè kǎ.
    Every Teacher's Day, students give flowers and cards to their teachers.
  • 教师节，。
    Jīn nián de Jiào shī jié zhèng hǎo shì zhōu yī, xué xiào zǔ zhī le qìng zhù huó dòng.
    This year Teacher's Day falls on a Monday, and the school organized a celebration.
  • 教师节，。
    Wèi le yíng jiē Jiào shī jié, bān lǐ tí qián bù zhì le jiào shì.
    To welcome Teacher's Day, the class decorated the classroom in advance.

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.

教师teacher
教jiàoteaching师shīmaster
偏正Modifier + head
节jiéfestival

教师 names teachers and 节 marks a special day, so the word names Teacher's Day.

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 師; 师 is its simplified writing.

  • 𠂤𠂤𠂤
  • 帀帀zā

The traditional form 師 combines 𠂤 and 帀; the simplified 师 is not the form explained here.

Open 师 →

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 節; 节 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺮Written in full as竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
即
即jí節jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 節 pairs ⺮ (bamboo) with 即, which gives the sound; the bamboo part points to a node of bamboo. The simplified 节 is a later abbreviation.

Open 节 →

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