硕士

• Pinyin: shuò shì
• Hanzi breakdown: 硕 = 石 (stone) + 页 (head), meaning great/large; 士 = a scholar

Meaning

Master's degree; master's degree holder. A postgraduate academic degree.

Refers to both the master's degree itself and a person who holds one. Common degrees include 硕士研究生 (master's student) and 硕士学位 (master's degree). In China's education system, it comes after 学士 (bachelor's) and before 博士 (doctorate).

Examples

1. 她去年研究生毕业，拿到了硕士学位。 She graduated from her master's program last year and got her degree.
2. 现在很多工作要求应聘者至少是硕士学历。 Many jobs now require applicants to have at least a master's degree.
3. 他正在读硕士，明年就能毕业了。 He's currently in his master's program and will graduate next year.

Usage Guide

Context: education, career, academic

Tone: professional

Do Say

• 他是硕士毕业的。(He graduated with a master's degree.)
• 我在读硕士。(I'm pursuing a master's degree.)

Don't Say

• 一个硕士 when counting people — use 一位硕士 or 一名硕士研究生 for respectful counting

Origin & History

Compound of 硕 (great/large) + 士 (scholar), meaning a great scholar, used for this academic level.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal