学 meaning and stroke order
To learn; to study; to imitate
How to write 学, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 学
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to learn
- to study
- to imitate
- science
- -ology
How 学 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A building 冖 where children 子 study; ⺍ provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 子 (son), shared by 30 characters on this site.
How to remember 学
Picture a child 子 under a roof 冖, with three little marks ⺍ on top like ideas popping out of the building. A child under a roof is a child at school, learning.
学 (xué) is a very common verb meaning to study or learn, and it also forms many school words like 学校 (xuéxiào) and 学生 (xuéshēng). It can also mean to imitate someone, and as a suffix it works like -ology, as in 数学 (shùxué) math. Example: 我在学中文。(Wǒ zài xué Zhōngwén.) I am learning Chinese.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 学 with 字 (zì, character), which also has 子 under a roof but uses 宀 with a dot instead of ⺍ and 冖. Also keep the second tone in xué; it is not xuē or xuě.
Common words with 学
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 学校 | xuéxiào | school | HSK 1 |
| 学生 | xuéshēng | student; schoolchild | HSK 1 |
| 大学 | dàxué | university; college | HSK 1 |
| 学习 | xuéxí | to learn; to study | HSK 1 |
| 同学 | tóngxué | to study at the same school; fellow student | HSK 1 |
| 上学 | shàngxué | to go to school; to attend school | HSK 1 |
| 学院 | xuéyuàn | college; educational institute | HSK 1 |
| 中学 | zhōngxué | middle school | HSK 1 |
| 放学 | fàngxué | to dismiss students at the end of the school day | HSK 1 |
| 小学 | xiǎoxué | elementary school; primary school | HSK 1 |
| 大学生 | dàxuéshēng | university student; college student | HSK 1 |
| 小学生 | xiǎoxuéshēng | primary school student; schoolchild | HSK 1 |
| 中学生 | zhōngxuéshēng | middle-school student; high school student | HSK 1 |
| 教学楼 | jiàoxuélóu | school building; academic building | HSK 1 |
学 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 学
How many strokes are in 学?
学 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 学 mean?
学 (xué) means to learn; to study; to imitate. A common word with it is 学校 (xuéxiào), meaning "school".
How do you pronounce 学?
学 is pronounced xué, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 学?
The radical of 学 is 子, which carries the idea of "son". Dictionaries list 学 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 学?
The traditional form of 学 is 學. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 学 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 学 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 学 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 学 and 学习?
Both mean to study or learn. 学 is short and often takes a direct object for a skill, like 学开车 (xué kāichē) learn to drive. 学习 (xuéxí) sounds more formal and general, like 努力学习 (nǔlì xuéxí) study hard.
How do I use 学 to mean imitate?
Put the person or thing you copy after 学, often with 的样子 or a verb. For example, 他学猫叫。(Tā xué māo jiào.) He imitates a cat meowing.