小学生

• Pinyin: xiǎo xué shēng
• Hanzi breakdown: 小 = small; 学 = learning/school; 生 = person/student — a person at primary school

Meaning

Primary school student; elementary school pupil.

Refers to a child enrolled in 小学 (primary school), typically aged six to twelve. The word is also used informally and sometimes self-deprecatingly by adults to describe unsophisticated knowledge or childlike behaviour. In internet slang, 小学生 can imply immaturity or naivety.

Examples

1. 她是一名二年级的小学生。 She is a year two primary school student.
2. 小学生们早上七点半到学校。 Primary school pupils arrive at school at seven thirty in the morning.
3. 这道题对小学生来说有点难。 This question is a bit difficult for primary school students.

Usage Guide

Context: education, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他还是小学生，别太严格了。(He's still a primary school pupil, don't be too strict.)
• 小学生要每天做作业。(Primary school pupils need to do homework every day.)

Don't Say

• 用'小学生'形容大学生或成年人（除非是开玩笑）。(Don't call a university student or adult a 小学生 seriously — it implies childishness)

Origin & History

Compound of 小学 (primary school) + 生 (student; person). 生 in an academic context means student or scholar, as in 学生 (student) and 先生 (teacher/mister).

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal