课 (kè) — class; lesson; subject; course
Definition
课 (kè) is the everyday word for a 'class' or 'lesson' — the school subject or a single session of it. For the group of students, use 班级; for an academic program as a whole, use 课程.
noun
classlessonsubjectcourse
Measure word · 门, 堂, 节
Examples
- 课。Wǒ xǐ huan zhè ge kè.I like this class.
- 课？Nǐ xǐ huan shén me kè?What subject do you like?
- 课。Zhè ge kè hěn hǎo.This class is good.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 課; 课 is its simplified writing.
The traditional form 課 pairs 言 (to say) with 果 as a sound part; the simplified 课 is a shorthand and its right side is not a sound part.
Appears in
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