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| 毕业 [2025/08/09 03:24] – created xiaoer | 毕业 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1 |
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| ====== bìyè: 毕业 - To Graduate ====== | |
| ===== Quick Summary ===== | |
| * **Keywords:** 毕业, biye, Chinese for graduate, graduation in China, bì yè, how to say graduate in Chinese, finishing school, Chinese culture, HSK 3 vocabulary. | |
| * **Summary:** Learn how to use the essential Chinese word **毕业 (bìyè)**, meaning "to graduate." This comprehensive guide covers its meaning, cultural significance in China, and practical usage. Discover how graduating is a major life milestone, explore example sentences for everyday conversation, and avoid common mistakes that English speakers make. Perfect for HSK 3 students and anyone interested in modern Chinese life. | |
| ===== Core Meaning ===== | |
| * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** bì yè | |
| * **Part of Speech:** Verb | |
| * **HSK Level:** HSK 3 | |
| * **Concise Definition:** To finish a course of study and be awarded a diploma or degree; to graduate. | |
| * **In a Nutshell:** **毕业 (bìyè)** is the direct equivalent of "to graduate." It marks the successful completion of a level of education, whether it's kindergarten, high school, or university. It's a verb of action and transition, signifying the end of one's studies and the beginning of a new chapter in life, like finding a job or pursuing further education. | |
| ===== Character Breakdown ===== | |
| * **毕 (bì):** This character means "to finish," "to complete," or "to end." Think of it as reaching the final point of a process. | |
| * **业 (yè):** This character relates to a "course of study," "trade," "profession," or "enterprise." It represents the specific field of work or study you have been engaged in. | |
| * The combination **毕业 (bìyè)** is beautifully logical: "to finish (毕) one's course of study (业)." It literally means completing your academic or professional training. | |
| ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== | |
| In Chinese culture, **毕业 (bìyè)** is a monumental event, often carrying more weight than in many Western cultures. It's not just a personal achievement but a significant milestone for the entire family, representing the culmination of years—or even decades—of sacrifice, intense pressure, and shared hope. | |
| For university students, graduation is the finish line after the grueling **[[高考]] (gāokǎo)**, the national college entrance exam that largely determines a young person's future. Therefore, the university **毕业典礼 (bìyè diǎnlǐ)**, or graduation ceremony, is a moment of immense pride for parents, who see it as a return on their immense emotional and financial investment. | |
| Compared to American graduation, which is often seen as a celebration followed by a transition to independence, Chinese graduation is viewed as the precise moment one formally "enters society" (进入社会 - jìn rù shè huì). The pressure to immediately secure a good job (**[[就业]] jiùyè**) is immense. The "graduation season" (**毕业季 bìyè jì**) is a frantic period of finishing a thesis, taking elaborate graduation photos around campus, saying emotional goodbyes, and navigating a highly competitive job market. The feeling is a potent mix of accomplishment, relief, anxiety, and nostalgia. | |
| ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== | |
| **毕业 (bìyè)** is a common, everyday term used in formal and informal contexts. | |
| * **Standard Usage:** The most common structure is **从 + [School Name] + 毕业** (cóng + [School Name] + bìyè), meaning "to graduate from [School Name]." | |
| * **Asking and Answering:** It's used to ask when someone will graduate (`你什么时候毕业？`) or to state when you graduated (`我去年毕业的。`). | |
| * **Post-Graduation Life:** The phrase **毕业后 (bìyè hòu)**, "after graduation," is extremely common for discussing plans, careers, and life changes. | |
| * **As a Noun Modifier:** While **毕业** itself is a verb, it can modify other nouns to create related concepts, such as **毕业照** (bìyè zhào - graduation photo), **毕业论文** (bìyè lùnwén - graduation thesis), and **毕业季** (bìyè jì - graduation season). | |
| ===== Example Sentences ===== | |
| * **Example 1:** | |
| * 我明年大学**毕业**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒ míngnián dàxué **bìyè**. | |
| * English: I will graduate from university next year. | |
| * Analysis: A simple and direct statement about a future graduation. Note that `大学 (dàxué)` specifies the level of education. | |
| * **Example 2:** | |
| * 他**毕业**于清华大学。 | |
| * Pinyin: Tā **bìyè** yú Qīnghuá Dàxué. | |
| * English: He graduated from Tsinghua University. | |
| * Analysis: The structure **毕业于 (bìyè yú)** is a more formal equivalent of `从...毕业 (cóng...bìyè)`. You will often see this in written Chinese or formal introductions. | |
| * **Example 3:** | |
| * **毕业**后，你有什么打算？ | |
| * Pinyin: **Bìyè** hòu, nǐ yǒu shénme dǎsuàn? | |
| * English: After graduating, what are your plans? | |
| * Analysis: **毕业后 (bìyè hòu)** is a crucial phrase for any student or recent graduate. It's the standard way to talk about post-graduation life. | |
| * **Example 4:** | |
| * 我哥哥是一名去年刚**毕业**的大学生。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒ gēge shì yī míng qùnián gāng **bìyè** de dàxuéshēng. | |
| * English: My older brother is a university student who just graduated last year. | |
| * Analysis: This sentence shows how **毕业** can be used in a descriptive clause with `的 (de)`. It describes the noun `大学生 (dàxuéshēng)`. | |
| * **Example 5:** | |
| * 我们的**毕业**典礼是这个星期六。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒmen de **bìyè** diǎnlǐ shì zhège xīngqīliù. | |
| * English: Our graduation ceremony is this Saturday. | |
| * Analysis: Here, **毕业** modifies `典礼 (diǎnlǐ)` to mean "graduation ceremony." | |
| * **Example 6:** | |
| * **毕业**后找工作真的很难。 | |
| * Pinyin: **Bìyè** hòu zhǎo gōngzuò zhēn de hěn nán. | |
| * English: Finding a job after graduation is really difficult. | |
| * Analysis: This sentence reflects a very common sentiment and a major topic of conversation during the **毕业季 (bìyè jì)**. | |
| * **Example 7:** | |
| * 你必须先完成**毕业**论文才能**毕业**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Nǐ bìxū xiān wánchéng **bìyè** lùnwén cáinéng **bìyè**. | |
| * English: You must first finish your graduation thesis before you can graduate. | |
| * Analysis: This sentence cleverly uses **毕业** twice, first as a modifier for `论文 (lùnwén)` and then as the main verb. | |
| * **Example 8:** | |
| * 我们班拍了很多**毕业**照。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒmen bān pāi le hěn duō **bìyè** zhào. | |
| * English: Our class took a lot of graduation photos. | |
| * Analysis: Taking graduation photos (**毕业照, bìyè zhào**) is a cherished ritual in China. | |
| * **Example 9:** | |
| * 他还差三个学分，所以今年不能**毕业**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Tā hái chà sān ge xuéfēn, suǒyǐ jīnnián bù néng **bìyè**. | |
| * English: He is still short three credits, so he cannot graduate this year. | |
| * Analysis: This shows a negative case, explaining a reason for not being able to graduate. `学分 (xuéfēn)` means "academic credit." | |
| * **Example 10:** | |
| * 一**毕业**，我们就各奔东西了。 | |
| * Pinyin: Yī **bìyè**, wǒmen jiù gè bēn dōng xī le. | |
| * English: As soon as we graduated, we all went our separate ways. | |
| * Analysis: This uses the `一 ... 就 ... (yī ... jiù ...)` structure to mean "as soon as... then...". The phrase `各奔东西 (gè bēn dōng xī)` is a common idiom expressing the bittersweet reality of friends scattering after graduation. | |
| ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== | |
| * **Verb vs. Noun ("graduate"):** In English, "graduate" can be a verb ("I will graduate") or a noun ("I am a graduate"). In Chinese, **毕业 (bìyè)** is strictly a verb. To refer to the person, you MUST use the specific noun **毕业生 (bìyèshēng)**. | |
| * **Incorrect:** 我是一个**毕业**。 (Wǒ shì yī ge bìyè.) - This literally means "I am a graduation." | |
| * **Correct:** 我是一个**毕业生**。 (Wǒ shì yī ge bìyèshēng.) - "I am a graduate." | |
| * **Forgetting "从 (cóng)":** When stating the school you graduated from, you must use a preposition. The most common is **从 (cóng)**. Forgetting it is a typical learner mistake. | |
| * **Incorrect:** 我**毕业**北京大学。 (Wǒ bìyè Běijīng Dàxué.) | |
| * **Correct:** 我**从**北京大学**毕业**。 (Wǒ cóng Běijīng Dàxué bìyè.) | |
| * **"Finished School":** While `毕业` means you've finished school, you wouldn't use it to say "I've finished school *for the day*." For that, you would use **放学 (fàngxué)**. `毕业` exclusively refers to the final completion of a program. | |
| ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== | |
| * [[毕业生]] (bìyèshēng) - A graduate (noun); the person who has graduated. | |
| * [[毕业证]] (bìyèzhèng) - Diploma; graduation certificate. The physical document you receive. | |
| * [[学位]] (xuéwèi) - An academic degree (e.g., bachelor's, master's). What the `毕业证` certifies. | |
| * [[学历]] (xuélì) - Educational background; record of formal schooling. A broader term than `学位`. | |
| * [[毕业季]] (bìyè jì) - Graduation season (typically May-July), a culturally significant time of year. | |
| * [[就业]] (jiùyè) - To find employment; to get a job. The primary concern for most new graduates. | |
| * [[高考]] (gāokǎo) - The National College Entrance Examination. The high-stakes exam that precedes university and, ultimately, graduation. | |
| * [[肄业]] (yìyè) - To leave school before completing the required courses; to drop out. The opposite of `毕业`. | |