学习
to study; to learn
xuéxí
What does 学习 mean?
学习 (xuéxí) is the standard Chinese verb for 'to study' or 'to learn' — a disyllabic compound covering both the activity of studying and the process of acquiring a skill or knowledge. It works as a verb (我学习中文 'I study Chinese') and as a noun (努力学习 'study hard'). Two distinctions matter for learners.
First, vs the single character 学 (xué, also 'to study/learn'): 学 is shorter and more colloquial — 我学中文 sounds slightly more natural in speech than 我学习中文, which leans textbook-neutral. Second, 学习 covers both 'studying' (sitting with a book) and 'learning' (acquiring through experience); English splits these, Chinese doesn't. The collocation 向…学习 ('learn from someone') is also common: 向老师学习 'learn from the teacher.'
Character breakdown
to study; to learn
to practice; to review; habit
Memory hook: 学 (study) + 习 (practice) — learning is studying plus practicing. The two-character compound captures both halves.
Example sentences
我每天学习中文。
Wǒ měi tiān xuéxí zhōngwén.
I study Chinese every day.
neutral
他很喜欢学习。
Tā hěn xǐhuan xuéxí.
He really enjoys studying.
spoken
学生应该好好学习。
Xuésheng yīnggāi hǎohao xuéxí.
Students should study hard.
neutral
你为什么学习汉语？
Nǐ wèi shénme xuéxí hànyǔ?
Why are you studying Chinese?
neutral
Common phrases with 学习
Hear it in real Fluentide episodes
学习 appears in 2 podcast episodes at natural native speed, with full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
Synonyms
学 is the single-character version — shorter, more conversational. 我学中文 sounds more like everyday speech; 我学习中文 reads slightly more formal or textbook. In practice both are correct.
念书 literally 'read books' and means 'to study (as in school).' Casual. 'How long have you been studying?' = 你念了几年书? 学习 is broader — you can 学习 a skill, but you 念书 for formal education.
Don't confuse 学习 with
FAQ
Related words from the same episodes
Acquire by listening
Hear 学习 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this word shows up again and again in real sentences. Pinyin, translation, and the episode where you heard it — every time. Free to start, no card.