HSK 3 · Education, Work

数学 shùxué “mathematics” in Chinese

Traditional 數學

What 数学 means

  1. mathematics

How to say 数学

  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale数shù4th tone, falling
  • Pitch chart of the second tone: rises from mid to high, 3 to 5 on the five-level scale学xué2nd tone, rising

数学 in a sentence

  1. 我正在准备明天的数学考试。

    Wǒ zhèngzài zhǔnbèi míngtiān de shùxué kǎoshì.

    I’m preparing for tomorrow’s maths exam.

    Sentence #11837364 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  2. 你数学好吗？

    Nǐ shùxué hǎo ma?

    Are you good at maths?

    Sentence #472397 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  3. 他们在上数学课。

    Tāmen zài shàng shùxué kè.

    They’re having a maths lesson.

    Sentence #2200427 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

How 数学 is built

Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.

The character 数 (shù) with each of its parts in a different colour
数shùnumber; figure
  • 娄a constellation · LóuSound part
  • 攵tap form of 攴 · pūMeaning part

攵 hints at the meaning (tap); 娄 (Lóu) hints at the sound. Compare it with shù.

The character 学 (xué) with each of its parts in a different colour
学xuéto learn
  • ⺍small form of 小 · xiǎo
  • 冖cover · mì
  • 子child · zǐ

Memory aidA roof 冖 over a child 子 at study.

How to write 数学

数 13 strokes · 学 8 strokes

Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

数学 (shùxué) stroke order chart: each stroke of the characters in the order you write them
Stroke order chart for 数学 (shùxué). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.

Words related to 数学

Words with 数

数量shùliàng · amount数字shùzì · numeral数shù · number数据shùjù · data数码shùmǎ · digital无数wúshù · countless算数suànshù · to count (be valid)数额shù'é · amount

Words with 学

学xué · to learn学生xuésheng · student同学tóngxué · classmate学校xuéxiào · school学习xuéxí · to study大学dàxué · university上学shàngxué · to go to school小学xiǎoxué · elementary school中学zhōngxué · middle school大学生dàxuéshēng · university student

More words: School, Work & Culture

经理jīnglǐ · manager句子jùzi · sentence历史lìshǐ · history年级niánjí · grade司机sījī · driver体育tǐyù · physical training文化wénhuà · culture校长xiàozhǎng · principal of school

FAQs

数学 (shùxué) means “mathematics”. It is an HSK 3 word.
Say it shùxué: shù with a 4th tone, then xué with a 2nd tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
In Traditional characters, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, 数学 is written 數學. The pronunciation is the same.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type shuxue with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 数学 from the suggestions. Typing shuxue into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
数学 is an HSK 3 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.

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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.