毕业生

• Pinyin: bì yè shēng
• Hanzi breakdown: 毕 = finish; 业 = studies; 生 = pictograph of a sprouting plant, meaning student/person

Meaning

Graduate; someone who has completed or is about to complete their studies.

Refers to someone who has graduated or is in their final year about to graduate. Commonly used in job recruitment contexts like 应届毕业生 (fresh graduate). Applies to graduates of any level — high school, university, or postgraduate.

Examples

1. 今年有很多毕业生在找工作，竞争非常激烈。 This year many graduates are looking for jobs, and the competition is extremely fierce.
2. 学校为毕业生举办了一场盛大的毕业典礼。 The school held a grand graduation ceremony for the graduates.
3. 作为一名应届毕业生，他找到了一份不错的工作。 As a fresh graduate, he found a pretty good job.

Usage Guide

Context: education, career, recruitment

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 应届毕业生可以参加校园招聘。(Fresh graduates can attend campus recruitment events.)
• 她是我们学校最优秀的毕业生之一。(She is one of the most outstanding graduates of our school.)

Don't Say

• 把还在读书的学生叫'毕业生' (Don't call a current student a 毕业生 unless they are in their final year — use 在校生 for enrolled students)

Origin & History

Formed by adding 生 (student, person) to 毕业 (graduate). The suffix 生 commonly denotes a person in educational contexts, as in 学生 (student) or 留学生 (international student).

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal