xuéxiào: 学校 - School

• Keywords: 学校, xuexiao, school in Chinese, Chinese for school, learn Chinese school, what is xuexiao, HSK 1 school, educational institution, 小学, 中学, 大学, Chinese culture education
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word for “school,” 学校 (xuéxiào). This comprehensive guide breaks down the characters, explores the deep cultural significance of education in China, and provides 10 practical example sentences. Discover how to use 学校 for everything from elementary school to university and understand its central role in modern Chinese life. A perfect resource for HSK 1 beginners and anyone interested in Chinese culture.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): xuéxiào
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 1
• Concise Definition: A school; an educational institution.
• In a Nutshell: 学校 (xuéxiào) is the most common and general-purpose word for “school” in Mandarin Chinese. It's a foundational vocabulary word you'll learn on day one. It can refer to any place of learning, from a small village primary school to a large national university. Think of it as the default term for “school” unless you need to be more specific.

• 学 (xué): This character means “to learn” or “to study.” Its top part (⺍) originally depicted two hands over a child (子, zǐ), symbolizing the passing of knowledge to the younger generation. It's the core concept of learning and scholarship.
• 校 (xiào): This character can mean “school” or “to check/proofread.” It's composed of the wood radical (木, mù) on the left and a phonetic component (交, jiāo) on the right, which means “to cross” or “to interact.” You can imagine a wooden building (木) where people interact (交) and exchange knowledge.
• Together, 学校 (xuéxiào) literally translates to a “learning place” or “study institution,” a beautifully direct combination of its parts.

In Chinese culture, education is not just about acquiring skills; it's a cornerstone of personal virtue, family honor, and social mobility. The concept of 学校 (xuéxiào) is deeply tied to this reverence for learning. Historically, this value system was shaped by the imperial examination system (科举, kējǔ), where scholars could become powerful government officials through rigorous study, regardless of their birth. This created a powerful cultural belief that education is the primary path to success and a way to bring great honor to one's family. Compared to the West, where education is often balanced with sports, arts, and personal discovery, the traditional focus in a Chinese 学校 (xuéxiào) is intensely academic. The pressure culminates in the formidable 高考 (gāokǎo), the national college entrance exam, which can determine a student's entire future. While this is slowly changing, understanding this immense pressure and focus on academic excellence is key to understanding the cultural weight carried by the simple word 学校 (xuéxiào). It represents hope, sacrifice, and the most respected path to a better life.

学校 (xuéxiào) is used in everyday conversation just like “school” is in English. It's a neutral term and can be used in both formal and informal situations.

• General Reference: You use it to talk about schools in general or when the specific type of school isn't important or is already understood from context. “My child started school” - 我的孩子上学了 (Wǒ de háizi shàngxué le).
• Asking About Someone's School: It's common to ask, “你在哪个学校上学?” (Nǐ zài nǎge xuéxiào shàngxué?) - “Which school do you go to?”
• Compound Words: It forms the basis for other key terms. While you can call a university a 学校, it's more precise to call it a 大学 (dàxué). The same goes for 中学 (zhōngxué) (middle/high school) and 小学 (xiǎoxué) (elementary school).

• Example 1:
  • 这是我们的学校。
  • Pinyin: Zhè shì wǒmen de xuéxiào.
  • English: This is our school.
  • Analysis: A simple, declarative sentence. This is one of the first sentences a beginner will learn, perfect for pointing something out.
• Example 2:
  • 你弟弟在哪个学校上学？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ dìdi zài nǎge xuéxiào shàngxué?
  • English: Which school does your younger brother attend?
  • Analysis: A very common question. “上学 (shàngxué)” means “to attend school.” Note the use of the measure word “个 (ge)” for school.
• Example 3:
  • 我把书忘在学校了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ bǎ shū wàng zài xuéxiào le.
  • English: I forgot my book at school.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses the “把 (bǎ)” structure to show what happened to the book. “在学校 (zài xuéxiào)” means “at school.”
• Example 4:
  • 这所学校的老师都很好。
  • Pinyin: Zhè suǒ xuéxiào de lǎoshī dōu hěn hǎo.
  • English: The teachers at this school are all very good.
  • Analysis: “所 (suǒ)” is a formal measure word for institutions like schools or hospitals. It makes the sentence sound slightly more formal than using “个 (ge)”.
• Example 5:
  • 学校九点开始上课。
  • Pinyin: Xuéxiào jiǔ diǎn kāishǐ shàngkè.
  • English: School starts class at 9 o'clock.
  • Analysis: Shows how 学校 (xuéxiào) can be the subject of a sentence, acting as an agent. “上课 (shàngkè)” means “to have class.”
• Example 6:
  • 我家离学校很近。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ jiā lí xuéxiào hěn jìn.
  • English: My house is very close to the school.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates the “离 (lí)” structure used for talking about distance from one place to another.
• Example 7:
  • 他是学校里最高的学生。
  • Pinyin: Tā shì xuéxiào lǐ zuì gāo de xuésheng.
  • English: He is the tallest student in the school.
  • Analysis: “学校里 (xuéxiào lǐ)” means “inside the school” or “in the school,” referring to the population or area within it.
• Example 8:
  • 学校食堂的饭菜怎么样？
  • Pinyin: Xuéxiào shítáng de fàncài zěnmeyàng?
  • English: How is the food in the school cafeteria?
  • Analysis: A practical question about daily school life. “食堂 (shítáng)” is cafeteria.
• Example 9:
  • 我们学校有一个很大的图书馆。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen xuéxiào yǒu yí ge hěn dà de túshūguǎn.
  • English: Our school has a very big library.
  • Analysis: A simple sentence structure describing a feature of a school.
• Example 10:
  • 他为了孩子上一个好学校，搬家了。
  • Pinyin: Tā wèile háizi shàng yí ge hǎo xuéxiào, bānjiā le.
  • English: He moved so that his child could attend a good school.
  • Analysis: This sentence reflects the cultural importance of education. “为了 (wèile)” means “for the sake of” or “in order to.”

• General vs. Specific: The most common point of confusion is when to use the general 学校 (xuéxiào) versus a more specific term.
  • If you are a university student and someone asks what you do, you could say “我在上学 (Wǒ zài shàngxué)” (I'm a student). If they ask where, it's more natural and precise to say “我在北京大学 (Wǒ zài Běijīng Dàxué)” rather than just “我在一个学校 (Wǒ zài yí ge xuéxiào)”.
  • Rule of Thumb: Use 学校 when the type of school is unknown, irrelevant, or you're speaking generally. Use 大学 (dàxué), 中学 (zhōngxué), etc., when you want to be specific.
• Incorrect Usage - Redundancy: Avoid being redundant. A university is a type of school, so you don't need to say both words.
  • Incorrect: 我上大学学校。 (Wǒ shàng dàxué xuéxiào.)
  • Correct: 我上大学。 (Wǒ shàng dàxué.) - I attend university.
  • Correct: 我上学校。 (Wǒ shàng xuéxiào.) - I go to school. (More general, used for younger students).

• 学生 (xuésheng) - Student; literally “learning life/person.”
• 老师 (lǎoshī) - Teacher; the person who teaches at a 学校.
• 上学 (shàngxué) - To go to school; a verb phrase describing the action of attending school.
• 放学 (fàngxué) - To get out of school for the day; the opposite of 上学.
• 大学 (dàxué) - University; literally “great learning.” A more specific type of 学校.
• 中学 (zhōngxué) - Middle School / High School; literally “middle learning.”
• 小学 (xiǎoxué) - Elementary School; literally “small learning.”
• 幼儿园 (yòuéryuán) - Kindergarten / Preschool; literally “young child garden.”
• 校园 (xiàoyuán) - Campus; the grounds of a school, literally “school garden.”
• 教育 (jiàoyù) - Education; the broader concept that takes place in a 学校.