学科

• Pinyin: xué kē
• Hanzi breakdown: 学 = 子 (child) under roof, learning; 科 = 禾 (grain) + 斗 (measure), categorizing grain, extended to category

Meaning

Subject; discipline; field of study. A branch of knowledge taught in schools or studied academically.

Refers to academic disciplines like mathematics, physics, history, etc. Used in educational contexts to categorize areas of study. Can also refer to professional or research fields. Common collocations include 学科建设 (discipline development) and 跨学科 (interdisciplinary).

Examples

1. 数学和物理是很重要的基础学科。 Mathematics and physics are very important foundational subjects.
2. 她的研究涉及多个学科领域。 Her research involves multiple disciplines.
3. 这所大学在人文学科方面很有优势。 This university has strong advantages in humanities.

Usage Guide

Context: education, academics, research

Tone: academic

Do Say

• 你最喜欢哪个学科？(Which subject do you like the most?)
• 这是一个新兴的交叉学科。(This is an emerging interdisciplinary field.)

Don't Say

• 我的学科是足球 (学科 is for academic subjects, not hobbies or sports — use 爱好 instead)

Origin & History

Compound of 学 (study, learn) and 科 (category, branch), meaning a branch of study.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal