小学
xiǎoxué
The English phrase 'elementary school' is translated into Chinese as 小学 (xiǎoxué).
小学 refers to a school for children in the first few years of their formal education. If you want to say that someone is attending or is currently in elementary school, you should use the verb 上 (shàng) before the noun, forming the phrase 上小学.
Which one should you use?
While 小学 is the standard term for an elementary school, 小学部 is used specifically to denote the 'elementary division' or 'elementary section' within a larger school system.
How do you pronounce it?
xiǎoxué
Did you know?
- In China, students in 小学 often wear a red scarf around their necks. This signifies their membership in the Young Pioneers, a youth organization that prepares them for later stages of education.
- In some contexts, calling a child a 小学生 (xiǎoxuéshēng) can be used humorously to describe someone acting in a very naive or childish manner.
- The term 小学 literally translates to 'small learning' or 'small study', reflecting the scale of the knowledge being acquired.
Examples in context
- 你还记得我们还在小学时你和我一起去动物园那次吗？Do you remember the time you and I went to the zoo together when you and I were in elementary school?This sentence is useful for recalling childhood memories involving 小学.Tatoeba #12221517 by GlossaMatik, translation #6913048 by CK
- 我在名古屋读的小学。I went to elementary school in Nagoya.This sentence is useful for stating where one attended 小学.Tatoeba #689265 by hsuan07, translation #261902 by CN
- 在小学的时候，她常常被老师骂。When she was in elementary school, the teacher often scolded her.This sentence is useful for describing experiences during one's time in 小学.Tatoeba #389971 by ver, translation #10121519 by DJ_Saidez
- 我小时候在小学学习了很多东西。I learned a lot of things in elementary school when I was young.
- 小明明年就要上小学了。Xiao Ming will start elementary school next year.
- 你喜欢小学老师教的科目吗？Do you like the subjects taught by elementary school teachers?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two old friends meet at a cafe and talk about their childhood.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你小学在哪儿上的？Nǐ xiǎoxué zài nǎ'er shàng de?Which elementary school did you attend?
- 志强 Zhiqiang我是在这附近的小学上的。Wǒ shì zài zhè fùjìn de xiǎoxué shàng de.I went to the elementary school near here.
- 佳怡 Jiayi原来如此，那真是很近。Yuánlái rúcǐ, nà zhēnshì hěn jìn.I see, that is really close.
- 志强 Zhiqiang对，我小时候经常在那里玩。Duì, wǒ xiǎoshíhòu jīngcháng zài nàlǐ wán.Yes, I used to play there often as a child.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
