数学/數學 shùxué — mathematics, maths

Meanings

1. 1

   mathematics, maths

   The study of number: 数 number, 学 study. Chinese names its school subjects the same way throughout — 化学 chemistry, 文学 literature, 历史 history.

   noun

Character breakdown

• 学/學

  xué (second tone, rising)

  to study, to learn; learning, a field of study; school (in 学校)

  8 strokes⿳⺍冖子Radical 子

Example sentences

• 我最喜欢的课是数学。/我最喜歡的課是數學。Wǒ (third tone, dipping) zuì (fourth tone, falling) xǐhuan (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) kè (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling) shùxué. (fourth tone, falling)···

  My favourite subject is maths.

• 这个数学题太难了，我不会做。/這個數學題太難了，我不會做。Zhège (fourth tone, falling) shùxué (fourth tone, falling) tí (second tone, rising) tài (fourth tone, falling) nán (second tone, rising) le, (neutral tone) wǒ (third tone, dipping) bú (second tone, rising) huì (fourth tone, falling) zuò. (fourth tone, falling)···

  This maths problem is too hard — I can’t do it.

Common mistakes

• Not quite我学数学课很好。

  Correct我的数学学得很好。

  How well you do something is said with 得 after the verb, not with 很好 tacked onto the object. The pattern is 学得很好, 说得很快, 做得不错.

Similar words

Words containing 学

• 学习/學習xuéxí (second tone, rising)to study, to learn
• 学校/學校xuéxiào (second tone, rising)school
• 学/學xué (second tone, rising)to learn
• 学生/學生xuésheng (second tone, rising)student, pupil
• 大学/大學dà (fourth tone, falling) xué (second tone, rising)university
• 科学/科學kēxué (first tone, high and level)science; scientific, rational
• 同学/同學tóngxué (second tone, rising)classmate, fellow student
• 学会/學會xué (second tone, rising) huì (fourth tone, falling)to learn
• 学院/學院xué (second tone, rising) yuàn (fourth tone, falling)college
• 留学/留學liúxué (second tone, rising)to study abroad
• 上学/上學shàng (fourth tone, falling) xué (second tone, rising)to go to school
• 医学/醫學yī (first tone, high and level) xué (second tone, rising)medicine
• 化学/化學huà (fourth tone, falling) xué (second tone, rising)chemistry
• 科学家/科學家kē (first tone, high and level) xué (second tone, rising) jiā (first tone, high and level)scientist
• 小学/小學xiǎo (third tone, dipping) xué (second tone, rising)elementary school; primary school
• 中学/中學zhōng (first tone, high and level) xué (second tone, rising)middle school
• 文学/文學wén (second tone, rising) xué (second tone, rising)literature