doctor (Ph.D.); doctorate
HSK level
博士 is written with 15 strokes (博: 12, 士: 3). The animation replays automatically.
博士 (bóshì) is a noun meaning a 'doctor' in the academic sense — a holder of a Ph.D.
or doctoral degree, and by extension the degree itself. It is the highest of the three academic ranks in Chinese: 学士 (bachelor's), 硕士 (master's), 博士 (doctorate). The crucial point for English speakers is that 博士 is strictly academic and does NOT mean a medical doctor; a physician is 医生 (yīshēng) or 大夫 (dàifu). So a Ph.D. in chemistry is 博士, but the doctor treating your cold is a 医生.
As a title it follows the surname respectfully: 李博士 (Dr. Li). Historically it also named a court scholar-official in imperial China. To 'do a Ph.D.' is 读博士 or 念博士.
Note: Neutral; used as an academic degree/title. As a title after a surname (王博士) it is respectful and formal.
Character by character
Memory hook: A 'broadly learned' (博) 'scholar' (士) — the highest degree, a Ph.D.
他正在读博士。
Tā zhèngzài dú bóshì.
He is currently doing a Ph.D.
neutral
王博士是我们的老师。
Wáng bóshì shì wǒmen de lǎoshī.
Dr. Wang is our teacher.
neutral
她花了五年拿到博士学位。
Tā huā le wǔ nián nádào bóshì xuéwèi.
She spent five years earning her doctorate.
written
读博士很辛苦，但我喜欢做研究。
Dú bóshì hěn xīnkǔ, dàn wǒ xǐhuan zuò yánjiū.
A Ph.D. is hard work, but I love doing research.
spoken
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