科目

• Pinyin: kē mù
• Hanzi breakdown: 科 = 禾 (grain) + 斗 (measure) — category, classification; 目 = eye, item in a list

Meaning

Subject; course; category (in exams or accounting).

Academic subjects or categories in classification systems. Common in education and accounting contexts. Collocates with 考试科目 (exam subjects), 会计科目 (accounting categories), 必修科目 (required subjects).

Examples

1. 高考主要考语文、数学、英语等科目。 The college entrance exam mainly tests subjects like Chinese, math, and English.
2. 他这学期选修了五门科目，课业压力很大。 He's taking five elective courses this semester — the academic pressure is heavy.
3. 会计科目的分类对财务报表的准确性至关重要。 The classification of accounting categories is crucial for the accuracy of financial statements.

Usage Guide

Context: education, accounting, classification

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你最喜欢哪个科目？(Which subject do you like best?)
• 驾照考试有四个科目。(The driver's license test has four parts.)

Don't Say

• 数学是一个很难的科目题。(题 means question/problem; for subjects, just say 数学是一个很难的科目)

Origin & History

科 (category, branch) + 目 (eye, item). Categories or items of classification.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal