Graduation in Chinese 毕业
bìyè
Graduate in Chinese is 毕业 (bì yè).
Also searched for as: graduate, graduation ceremony, diploma.
What happens when you finish? 12 essential graduation 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 word for graduation in Chinese is 毕业 (bì yè), literally 'to complete your studies', and it works as a verb: you say 我毕业了 (wǒ bì yè le), 'I've graduated', rather than talking about "my graduation". This list covers the big day itself, such as the 毕业典礼 (bì yè diǎn lǐ), and what comes after it: your 学位 (xué wèi), a first 实习 (shí xí) and plans for the future.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 毕业 | bì yè | to graduate |
| 毕业生 | bì yè shēng | graduate |
| 毕业典礼 | bì yè diǎn lǐ | graduation ceremony |
| 学位 | xué wèi | degree |
| 证书 | zhèng shū | certificate |
| 文凭 | wén píng | diploma |
| 祝贺 | zhù hè | to congratulate |
| 未来 | wèi lái | future |
| 计划 | jì huà | plan |
| 打算 | dǎ suàn | to plan; to intend |
| 经验 | jīng yàn | experience |
| 实习 | shí xí | internship |
Usage tips
- 毕业 is used for every stage of education, not just university: 小学毕业 (xiǎo xué bì yè) means finishing primary school and 高中毕业 (gāo zhōng bì yè) finishing secondary school.
- To say where you studied, put the place first: 我是北京大学毕业的 (wǒ shì Běi jīng Dà xué bì yè de). On a CV you'll see the formal written version 毕业于 (bì yè yú).
- Mainland Chinese graduates receive two documents: the 毕业证书 (bì yè zhèng shū), which shows you completed the course, and the 学位证书 (xué wèi zhèng shū), which certifies the degree itself.
Common mistakes
- Putting the school after the verb, as in 我毕业大学 → 毕业 can't take an object, so say 我大学毕业了 (wǒ dà xué bì yè le) or 我从大学毕业了 (wǒ cóng dà xué bì yè le).
- Using 毕业 to mean a person, as in 我是一个毕业 → the graduate is 毕业生 (bì yè shēng), so say 我是毕业生.
Mini dialogue
- A祝贺你毕业了！毕业典礼怎么样？Zhù hè nǐ bì yè le! Bì yè diǎn lǐ zěn me yàng?Congratulations on graduating! How was the ceremony?
- B很好，我爸妈都来了。Hěn hǎo, wǒ bà mā dōu lái le.Great, my mum and dad both came.
- A你毕业以后有什么计划？Nǐ bì yè yǐ hòu yǒu shén me jì huà?What are your plans now you've graduated?
- B我打算先在一家公司实习，积累一点经验。Wǒ dǎ suàn xiān zài yī jiā gōng sī shí xí, jī lěi yī diǎn jīng yàn.I'm planning to do an internship at a company first and get some experience.
- A太好了，祝你未来一切顺利！Tài hǎo le, zhù nǐ wèi lái yī qiè shùn lì!Brilliant, all the best for the future!
Example sentences
- 我明年夏天毕业。I graduate next summer.
- 今年的毕业生很多。There are a lot of graduates this year.
- 我父母来参加了毕业典礼。My parents came to the graduation ceremony.
- 她拿到了硕士学位。She got her master's degree.
- 这是我的毕业证书。This is my graduation certificate.
- 有了文凭找工作更容易。It's easier to find a job with a diploma.
- 祝贺你毕业了！Congratulations on graduating!
- 祝你未来一切顺利！All the best for the future!
- 你毕业后有什么计划？What are your plans after graduating?
- 我打算先去旅行。I'm planning to travel first.
- 我还没有工作经验。I don't have any work experience yet.
- 我暑假在一家公司实习。I'm doing an internship at a company over the summer.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Graduation speaking island has 8 everyday questions about graduation to prepare your own answers to.