What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 去 (qù), meaning 'to go' and 上学 (shàngxué), meaning 'to attend school' or 'to go to school'.
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between the activity and the physical location. 去上学 (qù shàngxué) refers to the status or activity of being a student attending school, whereas 去学校 (qù xuéxiào) refers to the physical act of traveling to the school building.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, you can express 'go to school' as 返學 (faan1 hok6). In Taiwanese Hokkien, it is expressed as 去讀書 (khì tō͘-sek).
How does it change in a sentence?
If you add the particle 了 (le) after 上学 (shàngxué) to form 上学了, it can indicate that someone has started attending school (such as a child starting their first year) or that they have already departed for school.
How do you pronounce it?
qù shàngxué
Did you know?
- A student who 'goes to school' for a long time may be called a 学霸 (xuébà). The word 霸 (bà) refers to a hegemon or overlord, meaning they 'dominate' their studies.
- Chinese has a specific term 辍学 (chuòxué) for dropping out of school. The character 辍 (chuò) originally referred to the act of stopping a horse by pulling its reins.
- While 上学 (shàngxué) means to attend school, the word 学 (xué) also means 'to imitate'. In ancient China, learning was viewed as the act of imitating the behavior of a master or sage.
Examples in context
- 我该去上学。I was supposed to go to school.This sentence is useful for using 去上学 to express an obligation.Tatoeba #5613709 by verdastelo9604, translation #2773985 by CK
- 你没必要周日去上学。You don't have to go to school on Sunday.This sentence is useful for using 去上学 to express lack of necessity.Tatoeba #1839181 by sadhen, translation #15868 by CK
- 汤姆年纪足够去上学了。Tom is old enough to go to school.This sentence is useful for using 去上学 to discuss age requirements.Tatoeba #5095198 by mirrorvan, translation #3447040 by CK
- 要去读书的话，我可以和你一起走。If you want to go study, I can go with you.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their daily schedules.
- 浩然 Haoran你明天几点去上学？Nǐ míngtiān jǐ diǎn qù shàngxué?What time do you go to school tomorrow?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我早上八点去上学。Wǒ zǎoshang bā diǎn qù shàngxué.I go to school at eight in the morning.
- 浩然 Haoran那我们一起去吧。Nà wǒmen yīqǐ qù ba.Then let's go together.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen好啊，明天见。Hǎo a, míngtiān jiàn.Sure, see you tomorrow.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
