课
class; lesson
kè
What does 课 mean?
课 (kè) means 'class' or 'lesson' — both a single class period and a course of study. It's the central word in school life, appearing in fixed verb-object phrases: 上课 ('attend class / go to class'), 下课 ('class is over'), 备课 ('prepare a lesson'). Important: 课 takes different measure words depending on what you mean — 一节课 ('one class period'), 一门课 ('one course / subject'), 一堂课 ('one class session'). It also extends to textbook lessons — 第一课 ('lesson one'), 第十课 ('lesson ten').
The compound 课文 (kèwén) means 'text of a lesson,' 课本 (kèběn) is 'textbook,' 课程 (kèchéng) is 'curriculum / course schedule.' Note that
Character breakdown
class; lesson; subject
Memory hook: Speech radical 讠 + 果 (fruit) — a 'fruitful talking session,' which is what a good lesson should be.
Measure word for 课
Example sentences
我今天有三节课。
Wǒ jīntiān yǒu sān jié kè.
I have three classes today.
neutral
我们九点上课。
Wǒmen jiǔ diǎn shàngkè.
We start class at nine.
spoken
下课了，我们去吃饭吧。
Xiàkè le, wǒmen qù chī fàn ba.
Class is over, let's go eat.
spoken
我喜欢中文课。
Wǒ xǐhuan Zhōngwén kè.
I like Chinese class.
neutral
Common phrases with 课
Synonyms
课程 is 'course / curriculum / class schedule' — broader and more formal. A school's 课程 is its full set of offerings; one specific class meeting is a 课. 我今天有三节课 ('I have three classes today') vs 我们大学的课程很丰富 ('our university's curriculum is rich').
讲座 is 'a lecture / talk' — typically a one-off event with a guest speaker, not a regular class. A course in a semester is 课; a one-off invited talk is 讲座.
Don't confuse 课 with
FAQ
Acquire by listening
Hear 课 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.
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