学历

• Pinyin: xué lì
• Hanzi breakdown: 学 = 子 + 冖 + 爻 (child under a roof studying); 历 = 厂 + 日 (cliff + sun — passing through time, a record)

Meaning

Educational background; academic qualifications; level of education. The record of formal schooling attained by an individual.

Extremely important in Chinese employment and social contexts. Refers specifically to formal credentials (high school diploma, bachelor's degree, master's degree, PhD). Distinct from 学位 (academic degree) — 学历 is the broader credential record, while 学位 is the specific degree title conferred.

Examples

1. 该招聘公告明确要求应聘者具备本科及以上学历，无相关学历者不予受理简历。 The job posting clearly states that applicants must have a bachelor’s degree or higher; resumes without the required degree will not be considered.
2. 随着高等教育的普及，仅凭本科学历已难以在就业市场中脱颖而出，越来越多的毕业生选择继续深造。 As higher education becomes more widespread, a bachelor’s degree alone is no longer enough to stand out in the job market, and more and more graduates choose to pursue further study.
3. 他虽然学历不高，却凭借丰富的实战经验和出色的业绩，一步步晋升到了公司管理层。 Although he doesn’t have much formal education, he worked his way up into company management thanks to extensive hands-on experience and strong performance.

Usage Guide

Context: employment, education, social mobility

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 在填写求职申请表格时，请如实填写您的最高学历及毕业院校，并上传相关证书的扫描件备查。(When filling in the job application form, please truthfully state your highest educational qualification and graduating institution, and upload scanned copies of the relevant certificates for verification.)
• 现代社会越来越注重能力与实绩，学历固然重要，但解决实际问题的能力才是用人单位真正看重的核心素质。(Modern society places increasing emphasis on ability and performance; while educational qualifications are important, the ability to solve real-world problems is the core quality that employers truly value.)

Don't Say

• 我有很好的学历所以我很聪明 — 学历 refers only to formal academic credentials, not intelligence; having high qualifications does not directly equate to being intelligent; use 我受过良好的教育 or describe your qualifications specifically

Origin & History

学 (study/learn) + 历 (record/experience) — the record of one's learning journey

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal