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-====== guàkē: 挂科 - To Fail a Course/Exam ======
-===== Quick Summary =====
-  * **Keywords:** guake, gua ke, 挂科, fail a class in Chinese, fail a course Chinese, what does guake mean, Chinese school slang, passing and failing in China, Chinese university slang, academic failure China
-  * **Summary:** Discover the meaning of **挂科 (guàkē)**, a crucial and dreaded slang term in the Chinese academic world for "failing a course." This guide breaks down its literal meaning ("to hang a subject"), explores the immense cultural pressure behind it, and provides practical examples for students learning Chinese. Learn why **挂科 (guàkē)** is more than just a bad grade—it's a significant cultural concept tied to family expectations and personal face.
-===== Core Meaning =====
-  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** guà kē
-  * **Part of Speech:** Verb-Object Phrase (commonly used as a verb)
-  * **HSK Level:** N/A (Extremely common and essential slang for anyone in the Chinese education system)
-  * **Concise Definition:** To fail an academic course for a semester or term.
-  * **In a Nutshell:** **挂科 (guàkē)** is the ultimate nightmare for a Chinese student. It doesn't just mean you did poorly on one test; it means you've failed the entire subject for the semester. The term vividly paints a picture of your academic progress for that subject being "hung up" and suspended, forcing you to face consequences like make-up exams or even retaking the entire course. It's an informal, but universally understood, term loaded with stress and disappointment.
-===== Character Breakdown =====
-  * **挂 (guà):** To hang, to suspend, to put up. Imagine hanging a picture on a wall or hanging up a phone call. In this context, it implies that your progress in the subject is "hung up" and cannot move forward.
-  * **科 (kē):** An academic subject, a course, or a department. For example, 数学科 (shùxuékē) is the "subject of math," and 科学 (kēxué) is "science."
-  * The two characters combine to create a powerful metaphor: **挂科 (guàkē)** literally means "to hang a subject." This visualises the finality of failing a course—it's been put on hold, suspended, and you are stuck until you can fix it.
-===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
-  * **The Weight of Expectation:** In Chinese culture, education is often seen as the primary path to success and social mobility. Families invest enormous financial and emotional resources into a child's education. Therefore, to **挂科 (guàkē)** is not merely a personal academic setback. It can carry a heavy weight of letting one's family down and can be a source of significant shame and a "loss of face" ([[面子]], miànzi).
-  * **Comparison to Western Culture:** While failing a class in the U.S. or Europe is certainly undesirable, it's often viewed as a more individual problem. The student might be disappointed, but it doesn't typically bring the same level of familial shame or perceived failure. In China, the pressure is more collective. A student's success or failure is often seen as a reflection on the entire family. The response to hearing "I failed a class" in the West might be "Oh, that's tough, what's your plan?" In China, the reaction can be much more severe, involving intense disappointment and concern from parents.
-  * **The Aftermath:** The fear of **挂科 (guàkē)** drives much of the intense study culture seen in Chinese universities. The immediate consequence is usually a [[补考]] (bǔkǎo), or make-up exam. Failing that can lead to [[重修]] (chóngxiū), retaking the entire course, which costs time, money, and can delay graduation.
-===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
-  * **Informal Slang:** **挂科 (guàkē)** is primarily used by students in high school and university. It's conversational, informal, and ubiquitous on campus, in dorms, and on social media platforms like WeChat and Weibo. You would not see this term in a formal academic transcript, which would use more official phrasing like `不及格 (bù jígé)`.
-  * **Connotation:** The connotation is always negative, filled with dread, anxiety, or post-failure disappointment. It can be used when worrying about a future result ("I'm so scared I'm going to fail") or stating a past one ("I failed my history class").
-  * **As a Verb:** It functions directly as a verb. A student will say "我挂科了" (Wǒ guàkē le - "I failed a course").
-===== Example Sentences =====
-  * **Example 1:**
-    * 我这学期什么都不想，就怕**挂科**。
-    * Pinyin: Wǒ zhè xuéqī shénme dōu bùxiǎng, jiù pà **guàkē**.
-    * English: This semester I'm not thinking about anything else, I'm just afraid of failing a course.
-    * Analysis: This shows the pre-emptive fear and anxiety students feel about the possibility of failing.
-  * **Example 2:**
-    * 完了，我感觉我数学要**挂科**了。
-    * Pinyin: Wánle, wǒ gǎnjué wǒ shùxué yào **guàkē** le.
-    * English: It's over. I have a feeling I'm going to fail my math course.
-    * Analysis: `完了 (wánle)` is a dramatic and common way to express that you're doomed. This is typical student melodrama.
-  * **Example 3:**
-    * 他因为整个学期都在玩游戏，所以**挂**了好几**科**。
-    * Pinyin: Tā yīnwèi zhěnggè xuéqī dōu zài wán yóuxì, suǒyǐ **guà**le hǎojǐ **kē**.
-    * English: Because he spent the whole semester playing games, he failed several courses.
-    * Analysis: Here, `挂 (guà)` and `科 (kē)` are separated by the resultative complement `了 (le)` and the quantity `好几 (hǎojǐ)`. This is a very common structure.
-  * **Example 4:**
-    * 你上学期**挂科**了吗？
-    * Pinyin: Nǐ shàng xuéqī **guàkē** le ma?
-    * English: Did you fail any courses last semester?
-    * Analysis: A direct and common question among student friends.
-  * **Example 5:**
-    * 如果我**挂科**了，我爸妈会杀了我的！
-    * Pinyin: Rúguǒ wǒ **guàkē** le, wǒ bà mā huì shāle wǒ de!
-    * English: If I fail a class, my parents will kill me!
-    * Analysis: A classic hyperbole used by students to express the immense pressure they feel from their parents.
-  * **Example 6:**
-    * 这位教授的**挂科**率特别高，你选课的时候要小心。
-    * Pinyin: Zhè wèi jiàoshòu de **guàkē** lǜ tèbié gāo, nǐ xuǎnkè de shíhòu yào xiǎoxīn.
-    * English: This professor's failure rate is especially high; be careful when you're choosing classes.
-    * Analysis: This introduces the related term [[挂科率]] (guàkē lǜ), "failure rate," a very practical concern for university students.
-  * **Example 7:**
-    * 我不想**挂科**，所以我必须去参加补考。
-    * Pinyin: Wǒ bùxiǎng **guàkē**, suǒyǐ wǒ bìxū qù cānjiā bǔkǎo.
-    * English: I don't want to have a failing grade on my record, so I have to go take the make-up exam.
-    * Analysis: This links failing the course with its direct consequence, the [[补考]] (bǔkǎo).
-  * **Example 8:**
-    * 别担心，只要你期末考试及格了，就不会**挂科**。
-    * Pinyin: Bié dānxīn, zhǐyào nǐ qímò kǎoshì jígé le, jiù bù huì **guàkē**.
-    * English: Don't worry, as long as you pass the final exam, you won't fail the course.
-    * Analysis: This sentence nicely contrasts `及格 (jígé)` (to pass) with `挂科 (guàkē)` (to fail the course).
-  * **Example 9:**
-    * 他因为**挂科**太多，学分不够，可能要延迟毕业了。
-    * Pinyin: Tā yīnwèi **guàkē** tài duō, xuéfēn bùgòu, kěnéng yào yánchí bìyè le.
-    * English: Because he failed too many courses and doesn't have enough credits, he might have to delay his graduation.
-    * Analysis: This shows the serious, long-term consequences of failing multiple classes.
-  * **Example 10:**
-    * A: 你怎么了？看起来很难过。 (Nǐ zěnmele? Kàn qǐlái hěn nánguò.) - What's wrong? You look really upset.
-    * B: 唉，我刚查了成绩，物理**挂科**了。 (Āi, wǒ gāng chá le chéngjī, wùlǐ **guàkē** le.) - Ugh, I just checked my grades, and I failed physics.
-    * Analysis: A very typical, realistic conversation between two student friends. The sigh (`唉, Āi`) perfectly captures the feeling.
-===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
-  * **Course Failure vs. Test Failure:** This is the most critical distinction. English speakers use "fail" for everything (a quiz, a test, a paper, a course). **挂科 (guàkē)** is used almost exclusively for **failing the entire course** at the end of a semester/term. For failing a single test, you should use **考试不及格 (kǎoshì bù jígé)**.
-  * **Incorrect Usage:**
-    * `我昨天的数学考试挂科了。` (Wǒ zuótiān de shùxué kǎoshì guàkē le.)
-    * **Why it's wrong:** **挂科 (guàkē)** refers to the final result of the whole semester's course, not a single test from "yesterday."
-    * **Correct Version:** `我昨天的数学考试没及格。` (Wǒ zuótiān de shùxué kǎoshì méi jígé.) or `我昨天的数学考试不及格。` (Wǒ zuótiān de shùxué kǎoshì bù jígé.)
-===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
-  * **[[及格]] (jígé)** - To pass (an exam or course). The direct antonym of failing.
-  * **[[补考]] (bǔkǎo)** - A make-up exam. The first chance to redeem yourself after you **挂科**.
-  * **[[重修]] (chóngxiū)** - To retake a course. The more serious consequence if you fail the course and the make-up exam.
-  * **[[学分]] (xuéfēn)** - Academic credits. You don't earn these when you **挂科**, which can impact graduation.
-  * **[[翘课]] (qiàokè)** - To skip class. A common cause of **挂科**.
-  * **[[学霸]] (xuébà)** - "Study Tyrant" or top student. The person who never has to worry about **挂科**.
-  * **[[学渣]] (xuézhā)** - "Study Dregs" or slacker student. The person who is at high risk of **挂科**.
-  * **[[挂科率]] (guàkē lǜ)** - The failure rate. A statistic often discussed by students about certain notoriously difficult courses or strict professors.
-  * **[[成绩单]] (chéngjìdān)** - Transcript / Report Card. The official document where the result of a **挂科** (formally written as `不及格`) appears.