甲组 (jiǎ zǔ) — (in Taiwan's college entrance exams) the science/natural sciences section

Definition

In Taiwan's college entrance exam (指考/分科測驗), 甲组 is the science/engineering track covering physics, chemistry, and biology. The counterpart is 乙组 (liberal arts/humanities).

noun
(in Taiwan's college entrance exams) the science/natural sciences section

Examples

  • 甲组，。
    Wǒ dǎ suàn kǎo jiǎ zǔ, yīn wèi wǒ xiǎng xué gōng chéng.
    I plan to take the science section because I want to study engineering.
  • 甲组、。
    jiǎ zǔ De kǎo shì kē mù bāo kuò wù lǐ, huà xué hé shēng wù.
    The exam subjects for the science section include physics, chemistry, and biology.
  • 甲组，。
    Tā xuǎn zé le jiǎ zǔ, suǒ yǐ xū yào duō zhǔn bèi lǐ kē.
    He chose the science section, so he needs to prepare more for the sciences.

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.

甲jiǎfirst
组zǔgroup

甲 (first) labels 组 (group), giving Group A.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

甲 is drawn as a hard protective shell, carapace, or scales of an animal, or as armor made of connected plates.

Open 甲 →

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 組; 组 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
且
且qiě組zǔ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 組 pairs 糸 (silk) with 且 as a sound part; the simplified 组 is a shorthand.

Open 组 →

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