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预习 (yù xí) — to preview (schoolwork), to prepare for class

Definition

预习 is previewing tomorrow's lesson before class — done by the student. The mirror pair is 复习 (reviewing after class); 备课 is preparing lessons as a teacher, not a student.

verb
to preview (schoolwork)to prepare for class

Examples

  • 预习。
    Wǒ měi tiān wǎn shàng dōu huì yù xí dì èr tiān de nèi róng.
    I preview the next day's content every evening.
  • 预习？
    Nǐ yù xí le jīn tiān de kè wén ma?
    Did you preview today's text?
  • 预习。
    Kè qián yù xí néng ràng nǐ gèng róng yì lǐ jiě kè táng nèi róng.
    Previewing before class can make it easier for you to understand the lesson content.

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.

预yùin advance
习xípractice

预 means beforehand and 习 means practice or study; together they express studying ahead of class.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 預; 预 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yè
Sound part声符shēngfú
予
予yǔ預yù
Same sound today

The traditional form 預 combines 予 for the sound and 頁 for the meaning; the simplified 预 is a later shorthand.

Open 预 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 習; 习 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 習 pairs 羽 (wings) with 日 (sun), showing a bird learning to fly; the simplified 习 is a later shorthand.

Open 习 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4HSK 2.0 Level 4

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