研究生院
yánjiūshēngyuàn
In Chinese, graduate school is translated as 研究生院 (yánjiūshēngyuàn). Wiktionary also lists 大學院 / 大学院 (dàxuéyuàn).
Meaning: a school that awards advanced degrees (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 研究生院 | yánjiūshēngyuàn |
| 大學院 / 大学院 | dàxuéyuàn |
The term is used to refer to the institution that awards advanced degrees. Note that if you want to describe the action of attending graduate school, speakers typically use the verb 读 (to study/read) with 研究生 (graduate student) rather than referring to the institution directly.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 研究生院 is composed of 研究生 (graduate student) and 院 (institution, college or school), literally meaning 'graduate student school'.
Which one should you use?
研究生院 is the standard term used in Mainland China. In contrast, 大學院 is a term more commonly used in Japan or within specific academic contexts influenced by Japanese terminology.
Is it said differently in some regions?
研究生院 is the standard term in Mainland China, while 大學院 is more common in Japan.
How do you pronounce it?
yánjiūshēngyuàn
Did you know?
- In mainland China, the term 保研 is a common colloquialism for the process of being 'guaranteed' a spot in graduate school without taking the national entrance exam, usually reserved for top-ranking students.
- The term 院 in 研究生院 can also refer to a hospital or a courtyard. In a modern academic context, it designates a specialized college or faculty within a larger university.
- Unlike the English 'graduate school', which can be a general term, Chinese students often distinguish between 学术型 (academic type) and 专业型 (professional type) graduate programs, which have different goals and durations.
Examples in context
- 我想在研究生院註冊。I want to enroll at graduate school.This sentence is useful for expressing the desire to enroll at the institution using 研究生院.Tatoeba #6999515 by xjjAstrus, translation #7156259 by Kiwi
- 我打算在 研究生院 學習金融學。I plan to study finance at graduate school.
- 他想申請 研究生 。He wants to apply for graduate school.
- 我在 研究所 念經濟學。I am studying economics in graduate school.
- 他在研究生院读法律。Tā zài yánjiūshìyuàn dú fǎlǜ.He studies law in graduate school.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “graduate school” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
