Definitions
- 1. literature and language
- 2. (PRC) Chinese (as a school subject)
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Word relationships
Counterparts
1 itemRelated words
3 itemsChinese language
语文 refers to the school subject of Chinese language and literature, while 汉语 refers specifically to the Chinese language (especially spoken).
Chinese language
语文 is the name of the Chinese language arts school subject; 中文 is a general term for the Chinese language.
literature
语文 includes both language (语言) and literature (文学); 文学 specifically means literature.
Usage notes
Common mistakes
Do not confuse 语文 with 汉语 or 中文. 语文 is the name of the school subject 'Chinese' in China, encompassing both language and literature, while 汉语 is the linguistic term for spoken Chinese, and 中文 is the general written language.
Cultural notes
In mainland China, 语文 is a mandatory subject from elementary to high school, focusing on Chinese characters, reading, writing, and classical literature. The term is rarely used outside the educational context.
Example Sentences
1 shown我今天有一节 语文 课。
AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.