ZHIZHI 知止 · LEARN CHINESE DAILY

class / lesson

10 strokes · 讠 (speech radical) + 果 (fruit) — speech that bears fruit · HSK 2

Where 课 comes from

课 (traditional 課) pairs speech 讠 with 果 (fruit, also the sound): originally to examine and assess — talk that must produce results. Assessment became curriculum: the lesson.

课 in Chinese culture

课 schedules student life: 上课 (class begins — also 'attend class'), 下课 (class dismissed — the two most emotionally opposite phrases in any school), 课本 (textbook), 功课 (homework). China's after-school 补课 (supplementary classes) culture is legendary. This app is your daily 汉字课 — one lesson, one character, speech bearing fruit.

Example

上课 shàngkè — to attend class / class begins

我们八点上课。
Wǒmen bā diǎn shàngkè.
We have class at eight.

How to remember it

Speech 讠 that must bear fruit 果 — the LESSON.

下课! (class dismissed) doubles as sports slang for firing a coach — the ultimate 'school's out'.

Same sound, different tones

1st kē
(measure for trees)
3rd kě
thirsty
4th kè
class

Words unlocked by 课

上课 shàngkè
attend class
下课 xiàkè
class dismissed
课本 kèběn
textbook
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One character a morning · 169-character HSK library · iOS