学业

• Pinyin: xué yè
• Hanzi breakdown: 学 = 子 + 冖 + 爻 (child studying); 业 = pictograph of a wooden plank rack — extended to mean work or occupation

Meaning

Studies; academic career; schoolwork. The formal body of academic work undertaken by a student over a period of study.

Refers holistically to a student's entire academic pursuits and progress. Common in educational and family contexts. 学业有成 (achieving success in one's studies) is a frequent set phrase of blessing and encouragement.

Examples

1. 父母含辛茹苦，省吃俭用，只为支持孩子完成学业，不因家庭经济困难而辍学。 The parents endured hardships and pinched pennies, all to support their child in finishing school and not dropping out because of financial difficulties.
2. 他在研究生阶段学业极为繁重，每天除了上课便是泡在图书馆查阅文献，几乎没有任何私人时间。 In graduate school, his coursework was extremely demanding; every day after class he camped out in the library reading papers, with almost no personal time.
3. 毕业典礼上，校长祝愿全体毕业生学业有成、前程似锦，在各自的岗位上为社会作出贡献。 At the graduation ceremony, the principal wished all graduates success in their studies and a bright future, and hoped they would contribute to society in their respective roles.

Usage Guide

Context: education, family, graduation, student life

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 老师叮嘱同学们要合理安排时间，兼顾学业与课外活动，培养全面发展的能力，而不是一味追求考试分数。(The teacher reminded the students to manage their time wisely, balancing academic studies with extracurricular activities to develop well-rounded abilities, rather than solely pursuing exam scores.)
• 她克服了语言障碍和文化差异，凭借顽强的毅力顺利完成了在海外的学业，并以全班第一名的成绩毕业。(She overcame language barriers and cultural differences, and through sheer perseverance successfully completed her studies abroad, graduating as the top student in her class.)

Don't Say

• 我的学业很好玩 — 学业 carries a serious, effortful connotation and does not collocate naturally with 好玩; to say studies are engaging or interesting use 我觉得学习很有趣 or 这门课很吸引人 instead

Origin & History

学 (study/learning) + 业 (work/career/undertaking) — the work or undertaking of study

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal