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暑期 (shǔ qī) — summer vacation period, summer break

Definition

暑期 is a formal or written term for the 'summer vacation period' — more literary than the colloquial 暑假. Use it for institutional or official contexts (e.g., 暑期班 'summer program').

noun
summer vacation periodsummer break

Examples

  • 暑期。
    Hěn duō xué shēng zài shǔ qī dǎ gōng.
    Many students work during the summer vacation.
  • 暑期。
    shǔ qī Yǒu liǎng gè yuè de shí jiān.
    The summer vacation lasts two months.
  • 暑期。
    Tā men dǎ suàn zài shǔ qī qù lǚ xíng.
    They plan to travel during the summer vacation.

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.

暑shǔsummer heat
期qīperiod

暑 refers to summer heat, and 期 refers to a period, so the combined sense is the summer period.

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
日日rì
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě暑shǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

暑 is built from 日, which carries the meaning, and 者, which carries the sound.

Open 暑 →

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
日日rì
Sound part声符shēngfú
其
其qí期qī
Same sound today

The original form paired 其 for its sound with 日 (sun). A related form changed that sun to 月, and this later developed into 期.

Open 期 →
Appears in
Climate & Seasons

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