學習 / 学习
xuéxí
In Chinese, the English phrase studying can be expressed as 學習 / 学习 (xuéxí) or 研究.
Meaning: the action of the verb to study (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 學習 / 学习 | xuéxí |
| 研究 | yánjiū |
The term used depends on whether you are describing the general process of gaining knowledge or a deep investigation into a specific topic.
Which one should you use?
學習 / 学习 is used for the process of learning a new skill, a language or general knowledge. In contrast, 研究 is used for academic research or the deep investigation of a specific subject or phenomenon.
How do you pronounce it?
xuéxí
Did you know?
- The character 習 in 學習 originally depicted a young bird flapping its wings to learn how to fly, representing the 'practice' part of studying.
- A person who studies intensely is often described as a 書呆子, which literally translates to 'book呆' or 'book idiot', a term used for someone who is overly academic and lacks social skills.
- While 研究 means 'research' in an academic sense, it is used colloquially to mean 'studying' or 'analyzing' a person's strange behavior in a social setting.
Examples in context
- 凱教授已研究昆蟲四十年。Professor Kai has been studying insects for forty years.This sentence shows the use of 研究 in the context of long-term academic investigation.Tatoeba #10457377 by DaoSeng, translation #10465115 by sundown
- 我正在学习中文。I am currently studying Chinese.
- 他非常努力地学习。He studies very diligently.
- 我念书已经两个小时了。I have been studying for two hours already.
- 他很喜欢念书。He enjoys studying.
- 我正在研究生物化学。I am studying biochemistry.
- 这是一个复杂的研究项目。This is a complex research project.
- 你今晚要学多久？How long are you going to study tonight?
- 我一直在学英语。I have been studying English all along.
- 他常常念书到很晚。He often studies late into the night.
- 我需要念几页书。I need to study a few pages of the book.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “studying” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
