求学

• Pinyin: qiú xué
• Hanzi breakdown: 求 = 求 (seek/pursue); 学 = 学 (learn/study)

Meaning

To pursue learning; to study diligently; to attend an educational institution, often implying travelling away from home or making personal sacrifices in the pursuit of knowledge.

Carries connotations of dedication and sacrifice in educational pursuit. 求学之路 (the path of learning), 负笈求学 (travel far carrying one's books to study). Often appears in biographical and literary contexts to describe formative educational journeys. More elevated in register than simply 上学 (attend school).

Examples

1. 她背井离乡、远赴英国求学，凭借刻苦钻研与坚韧毅力最终取得了博士学位。 She left her hometown to study in the U.K., and through hard work and grit, she ultimately earned a PhD.
2. 祖父常讲起年少时徒步数十里前往镇上求学的艰辛往事，令家人听后无不动容。 Grandpa often talked about how, when he was young, he had to walk dozens of miles to the town to study—stories so hard that the whole family was moved.
3. 这所大学每年都会招收一批来自偏远山区、怀揣知识梦想的求学青年。 Every year, this university admits a group of students from remote mountain areas who carry dreams of learning.

Usage Guide

Context: education, biography, literature, social

Tone: aspirational

Do Say

• 他克服家境贫寒的重重困难，以顽强的意志踏上了离乡求学之路，最终改变了自己和家人的命运。(Overcoming the hardships of poverty, he set out on the path of leaving home to pursue knowledge with tenacious determination, eventually changing the fate of himself and his family.)
• 当代青年求学的渠道愈加多元，远不局限于传统课堂，线上教育平台同样发挥着不可忽视的作用。(The channels through which contemporary young people pursue learning are increasingly diverse, far beyond traditional classrooms, with online education platforms playing an equally significant role.)

Don't Say

• 他每天去学校求学 — use 上学 or 上课 for the everyday routine of attending school; 求学 implies a significant, purposeful, and often arduous pursuit of knowledge, not mere daily attendance

Origin & History

求 (seek/pursue) + 学 (learning/study) — to seek and pursue learning

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal