教练 (jiào liàn) — coach; instructor; trainer

Definition

教练 is a hands-on trainer — sports, fitness, or skill drills — paired with 位/个. 教师 teaches in a school; 教练 teaches by practicing with you.

noun

coachinstructortrainer

Measure word · 个, 位, 名

教练。
Zhè wèi jiào liàn jiào wǒ men dǎ lán qiú.
This coach teaches us to play basketball.
教练。
Wǒ de yóu yǒng jiào liàn hěn yǒu nài xīn.
My swimming instructor is very patient.
教练。
Tā shì yì míng zhuān yè de jiàn shēn jiào liàn.
He is a professional fitness trainer.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

教 means teaching and 练 means training, together describing someone who guides both.

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.

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 練; 练 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mìsilk

Sound part声符shēngfú

柬

柬jiǎn練liàn

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

The traditional form 練 has 糸, silk, and 柬, which gives the sound. The simplified 练 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not historical.

Appears in