How to Write 科 (kē) — Meaning “Department; section; branch of science.”

Imagine a scientist using a dipper (斗) to measure rice (禾) in a lab experiment. This links 科 to 'science' (科学) and helps you recall that the character represents a branch or category of knowledge.

Write the left radical 禾 first with 5 strokes: left-falling, horizontal, vertical, left-falling, dot. Then add the right side 斗 with 4 strokes: dot, dot, horizontal, vertical. Keep 禾 narrow and 斗 balanced; a common mistake is making the two sides too wide apart.

科 has 禾 on the left and 斗 on the right (measurement), while 秀 has 禾 on top and 乃 (like a bent shape) below, meaning 'elegant'. 私 has 禾 on the left and 厶 (private) on the right, meaning 'selfish'. Focus on the different right or bottom parts.

科 appears in important academic words like 科学 (science), 科目 (school subject), and 本科 (undergraduate degree). It is also in 科技 (technology) and references the historical 科举 (imperial examination system), showing its strong connection to education and classification.

Common words containing 科 include: 科学 (kē xué) — science; 科目 (kē mù) — subject (in school); 本科 (běn kē) — Undergraduate / Bachelor's degree.