操场

• Pinyin: cāo chǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 操 = 扌(hand) + 喿 (phonetic, noisy); 场 = 土 (earth) + 昜 (phonetic, open)

Meaning

Sports field; playground. The open area at a school or campus used for exercise and sports activities.

Primarily refers to the sports ground or athletic field at a school or university, typically featuring a running track and open space. It is the standard place for PE classes, school assemblies, morning exercises, and casual sports. Not typically used for professional sports venues, which are called 体育场.

Examples

1. 同学们正在操场上跑步。 The classmates are running on the sports field.
2. 放学以后，我们喜欢去操场踢足球。 After school, we like to go to the field to play football.
3. 学校新修了一个很大的操场。 The school built a new, very large sports field.

Usage Guide

Context: school, sports, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 体育课在操场上进行。(PE class takes place on the sports field.)
• 操场上有很多学生在锻炼。(There are many students exercising on the field.)

Don't Say

• 我们去操场看专业比赛吧 (For professional sports events, use 体育场 or 体育馆, not 操场 — 操场 is for school grounds)

Origin & History

操 means to exercise or drill; 场 means field or open ground. Together they denote a field for physical exercise.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal