学期

• Pinyin: xué qī
• Hanzi breakdown: 学 = 子 (child) under a roof — a child learning; 期 = 其 (that) + 月 (moon), meaning 'a period of time'

Meaning

A semester or school term. Refers to one half of the academic year.

Chinese schools typically have two semesters per year: 上学期 (shàng xuéqī, first semester, September to January) and 下学期 (xià xuéqī, second semester, February to July). The word is composed of 学 (xué, study) and 期 (qī, period). Related terms include 学年 (xuénián, academic year).

Examples

1. 这个学期我要学中文。 I want to study Chinese this semester.
2. 下个学期你想选什么课？ What courses do you want to choose next semester?
3. 上个学期他的成绩很好。 His grades were very good last semester.

Usage Guide

Context: school, academic planning

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这个学期有几门课？(How many courses are there this semester?)
• 新学期开始了。(The new semester has started.)

Don't Say

• 我在第二学期 (Unnatural phrasing — say 现在是下学期 or 现在是第二学期; Chinese uses 上/下 rather than ordinal numbers for semesters in casual speech)

Origin & History

A compound of 学 (xué, study/learn) and 期 (qī, period/term), literally meaning 'study period.' This is a modern term that came into use with the establishment of the modern school system.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal