How to Say “Study” in Mandarin

Ways to say it

The verb 學習 / 学习 (xuéxí) means to acquire knowledge. This can refer to the general process of learning or it can be used as a noun to mean the mental effort involved in acquiring knowledge. If you mean to study in the sense of conducting an in-depth investigation or research, the more formal term 研究 (yánjiū) is used instead.

Which one should you use?

The two-syllable form 學習 / 学习 (xuéxí) is the complete, more formal way to describe the general process of studying a subject. In contrast, the single-syllable form 學 / 学 (xué) is more common in casual speech or when the word is part of a larger compound word.

Related words

Mental effort to acquire knowledge (noun): 學習 / 学习.

Room in a house intended for reading and writing (noun): 書房 / 书房, 書齋 / 书斋.

How does it change in a sentence?

As a verb, 學習 / 学习 (xuéxí) is often followed by a direct object, which is the subject or skill being acquired, such as 學習語言 (xuéxí yǔyán), 'to study a language'. The single syllable 學 / 学 (xué) is also frequently used as a component in compound words, such as 學生 (xuésheng), 'student'.

How do you pronounce it?

xuéxí

What mistakes should you avoid?

When you are referring to a physical room in a house used for reading or writing, do not use the verb 學習 / 学习 (xuéxí). Instead, use the noun 書房 / 书房 (shūfáng) or 書齋 / 书斋.