博士

• Pinyin: bó shì
• Hanzi breakdown: 博 (extensive, knowledgeable) + 士 (scholar, gentleman)

Meaning

Doctor (PhD); doctoral degree holder. The highest academic degree awarded by universities.

Refers to someone who has completed a doctoral program. Can be used as a title before names. Common phrases: 博士学位 (doctoral degree), 博士生 (doctoral student), 读博士 (pursue a PhD). In ancient China, 博士 was an official title for scholars.

Examples

1. 她花了五年时间终于拿到了化学博士学位。 She spent five years and finally got her PhD in chemistry.
2. 李博士是我们系最年轻的教授。 Dr. Li is the youngest professor in our department.
3. 他正在考虑要不要继续读博士。 He is considering whether to continue on to pursue a PhD.

Usage Guide

Context: academia, professional, titles

Tone: respectful

Do Say

• 王博士，请问您的研究方向是什么？(Dr. Wang, what is your research focus?)
• 她是医学博士。(She has a PhD in medicine.)

Don't Say

• 把医生叫'博士'——日常语境中医生应该称为'医生'或'大夫' (Don't call medical doctors 博士 in daily contexts — use 医生 or 大夫 instead; 博士 specifically means PhD)

Origin & History

Ancient title meaning 'learned scholar' (博 extensive + 士 scholar). Modern usage follows Western academic conventions.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated