学费

• Pinyin: xué fèi
• Hanzi breakdown: 学 = simplified from 學, depicting a child learning; 费 = 弗 (not, phonetic) + 贝 (shell/money), meaning expense

Meaning

Tuition; school fees. The money paid for education or schooling.

A practical noun for education-related expenses. Common phrases: 交学费 (pay tuition), 学费太贵 (tuition is too expensive), 减免学费 (tuition reduction/exemption). Figuratively, 交学费 can mean 'paying the price for a lesson learned through a mistake'.

Examples

1. 这所大学的学费一年比一年贵。 The tuition at this university gets more expensive every year.
2. 父母辛苦工作是为了供孩子的学费。 Parents work hard to pay for their children's tuition.
3. 他拿到了奖学金，不用交学费了。 He received a scholarship and no longer needs to pay tuition.

Usage Guide

Context: education, finance, family

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 下学期的学费什么时候交？(When is the tuition for next semester due?)
• 学费可以分期付款吗？(Can the tuition be paid in instalments?)

Don't Say

• 我交了学费去健身房。(Gym membership fees are not 学费 — use 会员费. 学费 is specifically for educational institutions.)

Origin & History

学 means 'to study' or 'learning' and 费 means 'fee' or 'cost'. Together they simply mean the cost of studying.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal