‘词组’ (cí zǔ) literally means ‘word group’ — ‘词’ (cí) means ‘word’ and ‘组’ (zǔ) means ‘group’ or ‘set’. Together, they refer to a grammatical unit consisting of two or more words that function as a single meaningful unit in a sentence, such as ‘红苹果’ (hóng píngguǒ, ‘red apple’) or ‘认真地学习’ (rènzhēn de xuéxí, ‘to study diligently’). Unlike single characters or isolated words, 词组 carries a unified semantic or syntactic role and often behaves like a noun, verb, or adjective depending on its structure.

This term is frequently used in Chinese language teaching, grammar explanations, and dictionary entries. Learners encounter it when analyzing sentence structure, building vocabulary, or practicing collocations. While native speakers rarely use ‘词组’ in casual conversation, it’s essential for understanding how Chinese phrases are formed and how meaning is packaged beyond individual words.