数学
mathematics; math
HSK level
- Pinyin
- shùxué
- Part of speech
- noun
- Level
- HSK 3
- Strokes
- 21
- Register
- neutral
- Measure word
- 门 / 节
- In episodes
- 1
Stroke order for 数学
数学 is written with 21 strokes (数: 13, 学: 8). The animation replays automatically.
What does 数学 mean?
数学 (shùxué) is the noun for 'mathematics' or 'math' as a school subject and academic field.
Literally 'number-study,' it covers everything from arithmetic to higher math. In schools, you'll hear it constantly: 数学课 (math class), 数学老师 (math teacher), 数学题 (math problem). Chinese culturally treats math achievement as a sign of intelligence and discipline, so saying 我数学不好 ('I'm bad at math') is a common, slightly self-deprecating remark.
Note the difference from English: 'doing the math' or 'do math' in the sense of calculating is 算 (suàn) or 计算 (jìsuàn), not 数学. 数学 is the discipline; 算 is the action. The full Chinese term is unshortened — there is no slang abbreviation like English 'math.'
Character by character
Memory hook: 数 'number' + 学 'study' = the study of numbers — mathematics.
Hear 数学 in real episodes
数学 appears in 1 Fluentide podcast episode at natural native speed. Each sentence plays at the easiest difficulty it exists in — switch it to hear the same moment at your level, with full pinyin and English throughout.
他打了三年橄榄球，后来回学校学习数学。
He played American football for three years, and later went back to school to study maths.
Former NFL Player Proves a Maths Conjecture
Example sentences
我最喜欢数学。
Wǒ zuì xǐhuan shùxué.
My favorite subject is math.
spoken
今天有两节数学课。
Jīntiān yǒu liǎng jié shùxué kè.
We have two math classes today.
neutral
他数学很好，可是英语不太好。
Tā shùxué hěn hǎo, kěshì Yīngyǔ bú tài hǎo.
He's good at math but not great at English.
neutral
这道数学题有点儿难。
Zhè dào shùxué tí yǒudiǎnr nán.
This math problem is a bit hard.
spoken
我妹妹想当数学老师。
Wǒ mèimei xiǎng dāng shùxué lǎoshī.
My little sister wants to be a math teacher.
neutral
Common phrases with 数学
Synonyms
算术 means 'arithmetic' — just basic calculation (add, subtract, multiply, divide), typically taught to young children. 数学 is the whole field including algebra, geometry, and beyond.
Don't confuse 数学 with
数字 means 'numeral / digit' (the symbols 1, 2, 3). 数学 is the subject. Don't say 我喜欢数字 when you mean 'I like math' — say 我喜欢数学.
科学 is 'science' (physics, chemistry, biology as a group). 数学 is treated as its own subject, separate from 科学 in Chinese schools.
数 alone means 'number' (shù) or 'to count' (shǔ). 数学 the noun always pairs both characters; don't drop one.
Frequently asked questions
Related words from the same episodes
Acquire it by listening
Meet 数学 again — in real Chinese, at your level.
You just saw 数学 in 1 episode. Fluentide keeps feeding you news episodes at your level, so this word — and thousands like it — resurface in real sentences until they stick. Full pinyin and translation every time. Free to start.