课堂 kètáng classroom
classroom; class session
How to remember 课堂: 课 lesson + 堂 hall = classroom.
Characters
How it is used
- Refers to the class in session - the learning activity and atmosphere - rather than the physical room.
- 课堂上 (kètáng shàng) - in class/during class, a very common phrase for describing what happens while a lesson is happening.
- Contrast with 教室 (jiàoshì), the physical classroom space itself, which exists whether or not a class is in session.
- Common in compounds like 课堂纪律 (kètáng jìlǜ, classroom discipline) and 课堂活动 (kètáng huódòng, in-class activities).
Example sentences
- 汤姆在课堂上睡着了。 Tāngmǔ zài kètáng shàng shuìzháo le.Tom fell asleep in class.
- 汤姆经常在课堂上睡着。 Tāngmǔ jīngcháng zài kètáng shàng shuìzháo.Tom often falls asleep in class.