学校

• Pinyin: xué xiào
• Hanzi breakdown: 学 = to learn; 校 = 木 (wood/structure) + 交 (intersect/exchange, phonetic) — originally a wooden enclosure for training

Meaning

School. A general term for any educational institution, from primary school through university.

The most common word for 'school' in Chinese. Can refer to any level of formal education. Often paired with 上 to mean 'to attend school' (上学校 or simply 上学).

Examples

1. 我的学校很大。 My school is very large.
2. 她每天走路去学校。 She walks to school every day.
3. 学校今天有运动会。 The school has a sports day today.

Usage Guide

Context: education, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你的学校在哪里？(Where is your school?)
• 我们学校有一千个学生。(Our school has a thousand students.)

Don't Say

• 用'学校'专指大学。(Don't use 学校 to specifically mean university — say 大学 for that; 学校 is a general term for schools at all levels)

Origin & History

学 (to learn) + 校 (校 originally referred to a military training ground, later extended to any place of formal instruction). Together they mean a place where one comes to learn.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal