Chinese word

科

Pronunciation

Pinyinkē

Meaning

  • nounsubject

Example

他更喜欢哪一科？tā gèng xǐ huān nǎ yì kē

Which subject does he like better?

Illustration for 科 (subject)

More examples

学校里有很多不同的学科。xué xiào lǐ yǒu hěn duō bù tóng de xué kē

There are many different school subjects at school.

Core concept

A labeled section cut from a wider area of knowledge or organized service.

Common phrases

  • 学科xué kē

    school subject

Similar words

学科xué kē: A broad school or university field that groups related teaching and research.
科目kē mù: A school subject taught as its own class and included in tests or grades.
课程kè chéng: A scheduled program of learning taught by an educational institution over time.
专业zhuān yè: A field selected for advanced study or work in a specialized area.

Definition in Chinese

表示按照专业或领域划分的类别或部门；在学校指学科，在医院指具体的诊疗科室。biǎo shì àn zhào zhuān yè huò lǐng yù huà fēn de lèi bié huò bù mén zài xué xiào zhǐ xué kē zài yī yuàn zhǐ jù tǐ de zhěn liáo kē shì

Word origin

科 (kē, "subject") was formed from 禾 (hé, "grain") and 斗 (dǒu, "measuring vessel"), linking it to measured divisions before it came to name fields of study and hospital departments.

Usage tips

  • A school timetable and a hospital sign can use the same word, so checking the place and the nearby action prevents a school-only reading.

Other meanings

  • departmentnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word