Going to School in Chinese 上学
shàngxué
Go to school in Chinese is 上学 (shàng xué).
Also searched for as: school, go to school, student.
Where do children go every day? 15 essential going to school 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 phrase for going to school in Chinese is 上学 (shàng xué), and finishing for the day is 放学 (fàng xué), literally 'release from study'. These words cover a school day from leaving home with your 书包 (shū bāo), school bag, to lessons in the 教室 (jiào shì), classroom, and the 作业 (zuò yè), homework, waiting at the end. They're handy for talking about your own schooldays, your children's school or your Chinese classes.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 学校 | xué xiào | school |
| 上学 | shàng xué | to go to school |
| 放学 | fàng xué | to finish school |
| 学生 | xué sheng | student |
| 老师 | lǎo shī | teacher |
| 教室 | jiào shì | classroom |
| 上课 | shàng kè | to have class |
| 下课 | xià kè | class is over |
| 书包 | shū bāo | school bag |
| 课本 | kè běn | textbook |
| 作业 | zuò yè | homework |
| 铅笔 | qiān bǐ | pencil |
| 校服 | xiào fú | school uniform |
| 同学 | tóng xué | classmate |
| 迟到 | chí dào | to be late |
Usage tips
- 上课 (shàng kè) and 下课 (xià kè) mark the start and end of a lesson, while 放学 (fàng xué) is the end of the whole school day.
- Homework is usually 'written' rather than 'done': people say 写作业 (xiě zuò yè), even for maths, though 做作业 (zuò zuò yè) is also correct.
- 校服 (xiào fú), school uniform, is standard in Chinese schools, where tracksuit-style uniforms are very common; you 穿校服 (chuān xiào fú), wear it.
Common mistakes
- 迟到 (chí dào) already means 'arrive late', so 我来迟到了 is redundant; just say 我迟到了 (wǒ chí dào le).
- Learners call a classmate 我的学生, but 学生 (xué sheng) is a student from the teacher's point of view; a classmate is 同学 (tóng xué).
Mini dialogue
- A你每天几点上学？Nǐ měi tiān jǐ diǎn shàng xué?What time do you go to school every day?
- B七点半，我们八点上课。Qī diǎn bàn, wǒ men bā diǎn shàng kè.Half seven. Our lessons start at eight.
- A几点放学？Jǐ diǎn fàng xué?And what time do you finish?
- B四点。放学后我和同学一起写作业。Sì diǎn. Fàng xué hòu wǒ hé tóng xué yī qǐ xiě zuò yè.Four. After school I do my homework with my classmates.
Example sentences
- 我们学校离家很近。Our school is very close to home.
- 我每天走路上学。I walk to school every day.
- 放学后我去踢足球。After school I go and play football.
- 教室里有三十张桌子。There are thirty desks in the classroom.
- 我们八点上课。Our lessons start at eight.
- 下课了，大家休息一下。Class is over; everyone take a break.
- 我的书包太重了。My school bag is too heavy.
- 请打开课本第十页。Please open your textbooks at page ten.
- 我写完作业再看电视。I'll watch TV after I finish my homework.
- 能借我一支铅笔吗？Could I borrow a pencil?
- 我们每天都要穿校服。We have to wear school uniform every day.
- 我和同学一起回家。I go home with my classmate.
- 对不起，我迟到了。Sorry, I'm late.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Going to school speaking island has 8 everyday questions about going to school to prepare your own answers to.