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同学 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
同学tóngxuéto study at the same schoolHSK 1, n, 14 strokes, rank #2391, Easy
同学tóngxuéfellow studentHSK 1, n, 14 strokes, rank #2391, Easy
同学tóngxuéclassmateHSK 1, n, 14 strokes, rank #2391, Easy
tóngxué(tong2xue2) T2
  1. 1to study at the same school
  2. 2fellow student
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March 24, 2026

同学(同學)tóngxué(tong2xue2)

同学 (tóng xué) refers to a fellow student or classmate, someone who studies at the same school as you. This term is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts, especially in academic settings, to address peers or to refer to them in conversation.

Strokes14Frequency#2391DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of 同学 is significant as education is highly valued, and relationships with classmates often continue into adulthood, fostering networks that can be beneficial in personal and professional contexts.

Memory Tip

Imagine a classroom where everyone is 'in sync' (同, tóng) in their studies (学, xué). Visualize a group of students working together harmoniously, emphasizing unity in learning. The sound 'tóng' can remind you of 'together', which helps you recall the meaning of classmates or fellow students.

Meanings of 同学

tóngxué(tong2xue2)
1to study at the same school
2fellow student
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 同学

同学Simplified
同學Traditional
14Strokes
—Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#2391Frequency Rank
位Measure Word
HSK 2.0L1HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL1HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 同学

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Podcast: 同学

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AI Study Notes for 同学

Quick Contrast

同伴 (tóngbàn) - use 同学 when specifically referring to classmates in an academic context, while 同伴 is more general for companions or peers in various situations.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 同学 with 朋友 (péng yǒu), which means 'friend'. While all 同学 can be friends, not all friends are 同学. Also, remember to use the correct measure words; for example, 一位同学 (yī wèi tóng xué) or 一个同学 (yī gè tóng xué) are both acceptable.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 1 word, 同学 connects with other basic vocabulary related to school and learning, such as 学 (xué) which means 'to study'. Students should practice using the term in sentences to describe their school experiences and relationships.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mix up the pronunciation and tone, saying 'tóng xuè' instead of the correct 'tóng xué'. Additionally, some might mistakenly use it to refer to non-classmates, when it should only be used for those studying at the same institution.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 同学

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Component Characters

同tóng(used in given names)
HSK 56 strokes口
View full entry
学xuéto learn
HSK 18 strokes子
View full entry

How to say to study at the same school in Chinese

“to study at the same school” in Chinese is同学tóngxué

同学 (tóng xué) refers to a fellow student or classmate, someone who studies at the same school as you. This term is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts, especially in academic settings, to address peers or to refer to them in conversation.

When to use 同学

Be careful not to confuse 同学 with 朋友 (péng yǒu), which means 'friend'. While all 同学 can be friends, not all friends are 同学. Also, remember to use the correct measure words; for example, 一位同学 (yī wèi tóng xué) or 一个同学 (yī gè tóng xué) are both acceptable.

同学 or something close to it

同伴 (tóngbàn) - use 同学 when specifically referring to classmates in an academic context, while 同伴 is more general for companions or peers in various situations.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mix up the pronunciation and tone, saying 'tóng xuè' instead of the correct 'tóng xué'. Additionally, some might mistakenly use it to refer to non-classmates, when it should only be used for those studying at the same institution.

Write 同学

同
学

Practice writing 同学 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 同学

同学 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

____们都很认真。

The classmates are all very serious.

Example Sentences for 同学 (16)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
这两个耶鲁大学57届毕业生每次同学聚会都参加。

zhè liǎng gè yé lǔ dà xué57 57 jiè bì yè shēng měi cì tóng xué jù huì dū cān。

These two members of Yale's Class of '57 never miss a reunion.
2
我已经跟同学们商量好去海滩远足的事.

wǒ yǐ jīng gēn tóng xué mén shāng liáng hǎo qù hǎi tān yuǎn zú de shì.

I have arranged with my classmates for an excursion to the beach.
3
好了, 好了, 同学们, 别这么激动!

hǎo le, , hǎo, le , tóng, xué mén , bié zhè!

Now, now, boys and girls, don't get so excited!
4
你必须确保让那些出身不同学科的人一起共事。

nǐ bì xū què bǎo ràng nà xiē chū shēn bù tóng xué kē de rén yī qǐ gòng shì。

You've got to make sure that people work together across disciplines.
5
学校的老师们很喜欢他,但同学们对他并不待见。

xué xiào de lǎo shī mén hěn xǐ huān tā, , dàn tóng xué mén duì tā bìng bù dài。

He was a favorite with his schoolmasters but not his schoolmates.
6
他的同学们发现他太爱奉承了。

tā de tóng xué mén fā xiàn tā tài ài fèng chéng le。

His fellow students had found him too ingratiating.
7
我要去看望我的一位老同学.

wǒ yào qù kàn wàng wǒ de yī wèi lǎo tóng xué.

I'm going to call on one of my former classmates.
8
老同学聚会在一起,分外亲热.

lǎo tóng xué jù huì zài yī qǐ, , fēn wài qīn.

The meeting of the old classmates was extremely cordial.
9
说起来我们还是老同学.

shuō qǐ lái wǒ mén huán shì lǎo tóng xué.

As a matter of fact, we are schoolmates.
10
每个人都认识一些利用老同学关系向上爬的人。

měi gè rén dū rèn shí yī xiē lì yòng lǎo tóng xué guān xì xiàng shàng pá de rén。

Everyone knows people who have wormed their way up on old school connections.
11
我和小明是小学生同学。

Wǒ hé Xiǎomíng shì xiǎoxuéshēng tóngxué.

Xiaoming and I are classmates in elementary school.
12
她和我在同一个学校,我们是大学同学。

Tā hé wǒ zài tóng yī gè xuéxiào, wǒmen shì dàxué tóngxué.

She and I are in the same school; we are university classmates.
13
我的同学们都很友好。

Wǒ de tóngxuémen dōu hěn yǒuhǎo.

My classmates are all very friendly.
14
我有一个同学,他今天没来上课。

Wǒ yǒu yī gè tóngxué, tā jīntiān méi lái shàngkè.

I have a classmate who didn't come to class today.
15
我和小李是中学同学。

Wǒ hé Xiǎo Lǐ shì zhōngxué tóngxué.

Xiao Li and I are middle school classmates.
16
她和我在同一个班,我们是同班同学。

Tā hé wǒ zài tóng yí gè bān, wǒmen shì tóng bān tóngxué.

She and I are in the same class, we are classmates.

Frequently Asked Questions about 同学

You can say '我的同学很聪明' (wǒ de tóng xué hěn cōng míng), which means 'My classmate is very smart.'

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