xuéxiào
standard, pinyin
School in Chinese is xuéxiào in pinyin, written 学校. It covers schools of every level.
To say you are going to school, use shàng xué or qù xuéxiào. dàxué is used for university.
Meaning: place of learning (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
xué means "to study" and xiào refers to a school. Specific schools add a word in front, such as xiǎoxué for primary school and zhōngxué for middle school.
How do you pronounce it?
The x in xuéxiào sounds between "s" and "sh". The ü in xué is a rounded sound, spelled with a plain u in pinyin after x.
Did you know?
- The Chinese school year starts in September in most places, and a second term begins after the Spring Festival break.
Examples in context
- Wǒ de xuéxiào hěn dà.My school is very big.
- Tā měi tiān qù xuéxiào.He goes to school every day.
- Xuéxiào lí jiā bù yuǎn.The school is not far from home.
Example conversation
Ming and his mother talk on the way out of the house in the morning.
- MotherNǐ yào qù xuéxiào le ma?Are you heading to school?
- MingDuì, wǒ zǒu le.Yes, I am off.
- MotherLùshang xiǎoxīn.Be careful on the way.
