High School & Sixth Form in Chinese 高中
gāozhōng
Senior high school in Chinese is 高中 (gāo zhōng).
Also searched for as: sixth form, high school, college, gaokao.
And after that? 15 essential college & sixth form words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
The closest Chinese word for sixth form or high school is 高中 (gāo zhōng), the three years of upper secondary that end with the 高考 (gāo kǎo), the national university entrance exam. These words cover this demanding stage, from choosing a 专业 (zhuān yè), the subject you'll study at university, to filling in your 志愿 (zhì yuàn), university choices, and hoping to be 录取 (lù qǔ), accepted. They also cover the 压力 (yā lì), pressure, that students talk about so often.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 高中 | gāo zhōng | high school; sixth form |
| 高中生 | gāo zhōng shēng | high school student |
| 高考 | gāo kǎo | university entrance exam |
| 选择 | xuǎn zé | to choose |
| 专业 | zhuān yè | major; specialism |
| 职业学校 | zhí yè xué xiào | vocational school |
| 申请 | shēn qǐng | to apply |
| 压力 | yā lì | pressure |
| 努力 | nǔ lì | to work hard |
| 目标 | mù biāo | goal |
| 准备 | zhǔn bèi | to prepare |
| 补习 | bǔ xí | extra tuition |
| 模拟考试 | mó nǐ kǎo shì | mock exam |
| 志愿 | zhì yuàn | choice (on an application) |
| 录取 | lù qǔ | to admit; to accept |
Usage tips
- 高考 (gāo kǎo) is held every June in mainland China and largely decides which university you can attend; to sit it is 参加高考 (cān jiā gāo kǎo).
- 志愿 (zhì yuàn) here means a ranked choice on your application, as in 第一志愿 (dì yī zhì yuàn), first choice; elsewhere it relates to volunteering, as in 志愿者 (zhì yuàn zhě), volunteer.
- 补习 (bǔ xí) is extra tuition and 补习班 (bǔ xí bān) a cram class; in Singapore and Malaysia 补习 is also the everyday word for private tuition.
Common mistakes
- Learners mix up 专业 (zhuān yè), your degree subject, with 职业 (zhí yè), your occupation; and as an adjective 专业 means 'professional', as in 他很专业.
- 'Get into university' is 考上大学 (kǎo shàng dà xué); learners say 得到大学, which doesn't work, or 进入大学, which is correct but sounds formal.
Mini dialogue
- A你高考准备得怎么样了？Nǐ gāo kǎo zhǔn bèi de zěn me yàng le?How's your preparation for the gaokao going?
- B压力很大，下周还有一次模拟考试。Yā lì hěn dà, xià zhōu hái yǒu yī cì mó nǐ kǎo shì.It's really stressful, and there's another mock exam next week.
- A你想读什么专业？Nǐ xiǎng dú shén me zhuān yè?What do you want to study?
- B计算机。我的目标是考上北京的大学。Jì suàn jī. Wǒ de mù biāo shì kǎo shàng Běi jīng de dà xué.Computer science. My goal is to get into a university in Beijing.
- A你这么努力，一定没问题！Nǐ zhè me nǔ lì, yī dìng méi wèn tí!You work so hard, you'll be fine!
Example sentences
- 我高中毕业后去了英国。I went to the UK after finishing sixth form.
- 高中生的学习压力很大。High school students are under a lot of pressure.
- 她明年要参加高考。She'll take the university entrance exam next year.
- 这两所大学，你会选择哪一所？Which of these two universities will you choose?
- 你大学想读什么专业？What do you want to study at university?
- 他在职业学校学做饭。He's learning to cook at a vocational school.
- 我在申请国外的大学。I'm applying to universities abroad.
- 考试前我压力很大。I'm under a lot of pressure before exams.
- 他学习非常努力。He studies very hard.
- 我的目标是考上北京大学。My goal is to get into Peking University.
- 我在准备明天的考试。I'm preparing for tomorrow's exam.
- 周末我去补习数学。I go to maths tuition at the weekend.
- 下周有一次模拟考试。There's a mock exam next week.
- 你第一志愿填了哪个大学？Which university did you put as your first choice?
- 她被上海一所大学录取了。She was accepted by a university in Shanghai.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The College & sixth form speaking island has 8 everyday questions about college & sixth form to prepare your own answers to.