Question 1

What does 校长 mean in Chinese?

Accepted Answer

校长 (xiàozhǎng) is the noun 'principal / headmaster / president (of a school).' Built from 校 (school) + 长 (chief / head), literally 'school chief.' The same word covers a wide range of school leaders in Chinese: the principal of a primary or middle school, the headmaster of a high school, and the president of a university (北京大学校长 = president of Peking University). English splits these (principal vs. president vs.

headmaster); Chinese uses one term. As a form of address, 校长 functions like 老师 — call the person 校长 or 张校长 ('Principal Zhang') rather than using their name alone. Note that 长 here is pronounced zhǎng (chief), NOT cháng (long) — a common beginner mispronunciation. Same pattern appears in 班长 (class monitor), 部长 (minister)

Question 2

How do you pronounce 校长?

Accepted Answer

校长 is pronounced xiàozhǎng — 校 (xiào), 长 (zhǎng).

Question 3

Is 校长 a noun, verb, or something else?

Accepted Answer

校长 is a noun, register: neutral. Also used as a respectful title of address: 张校长 ('Principal Zhang'). When speaking directly to one, address them as 校长 alone, the same way you'd say '老师'.

Question 4

What is the measure word for 校长?

Accepted Answer

Use 位 (wèi). Example: 一位校长 — polite, for a person of status. Other measure words: 个 (gè).

Question 5

What's the difference between 校长 and 学校?

Accepted Answer

学校 is 'school' (the institution/place). 校长 is the 'principal' (the person who runs it). 我去学校 = 'I'm going to school'; 我见校长 = 'I'm meeting the principal.'

Question 6

What's the difference between 校长 and 长?

Accepted Answer

长 is pronounced two ways: cháng ('long') and zhǎng ('chief / to grow'). In 校长, it's zhǎng. Don't say xiàocháng — it's wrong.

校长

What does 校长 mean?

Character breakdown

Measure word for 校长

Example sentences

Common phrases with 校长

Synonyms

Don't confuse 校长 with

FAQ

Hear 校长 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.