HSK Level 5

书桌

shū zhuō

desk; writing desk

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Example Sentences

我在书桌前学习。

wǒ zài shūzhuō qián xuéxí.

I am studying at the desk.

书桌上有一台电脑。

shūzhuō shàng yǒu yī tái diànnǎo.

There is a computer on the desk.

我把书放在书桌上。

wǒ bǎ shū fàng zài shūzhuō shàng.

I put the book on the desk.

Synonyms

写字台 (xiězìtái)

writing desk

办公桌 (bàngōngzhuō)

office desk

Antonyms

(chuáng)

bed

沙发 (shāfā)

sofa

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 书桌 (shūzhuō) for "desk" is a compound of two characters: 书 (shū), meaning "book," and 桌 (zhuō), meaning "table." The character 书 originally meant "to write" or "to draw," and it is composed of the radical 竹 (zhú), meaning "bamboo," and the phonetic component 聿 (yù), which is a pictograph of a writing brush. The character 桌 is composed of the radical 木 (mù), meaning "wood," and the phonetic component 卓 (zhuó), which is a pictograph of a table.When combined, the characters 书 and 桌 form the compound 书桌, which literally means "book table" or "writing table." This compound is used to refer to a piece of furniture that is specifically designed for writing, reading, or working at. It is typically a flat, horizontal surface that is supported by legs or a frame, and it may have drawers or shelves for storage.The word 书桌 is commonly used in both Mandarin and Cantonese, and it is also used in other Chinese dialects. It is a basic vocabulary word that is learned by students at a beginner level of Chinese language study.