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毕业 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
毕业bìyègraduationHSK 4, n, 11 strokes, rank #1653, Medium
毕业bìyèto graduateHSK 4, n, 11 strokes, rank #1653, Medium
毕业bìyèto finish schoolHSK 4, n, 11 strokes, rank #1653, Medium
bìyè(bi4ye4)bi ye T4
  1. 1graduation
  2. 2to graduate
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March 24, 2026

毕业(畢業)bìyè(bi4ye4)

毕业 (bì yè) refers to the completion of an academic program or course, commonly translated as 'graduation' in English. It is often used in contexts related to students finishing high school, college, or university, marking a significant milestone in education and personal development.

Strokes11Frequency#1653DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

Graduation ceremonies, or 毕业典礼 (bì yè diǎn lǐ), are significant events in Chinese culture, often involving family celebrations and formal attire, reflecting the importance of education in societal values.

Memory Tip

Think of 毕 (bì) as a 'bee' that buzzes around completing its schooling before it can pollinate flowers. The second character, 业 (yè), resembles a building, symbolizing the 'business' or 'profession' that one enters after finishing education. Together, they represent the journey from learning to professional life.

Meanings of 毕业

bìyè(bi4ye4)
1graduation
2to graduate
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 毕业

毕业Simplified
畢業Traditional
11Strokes
—Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#1653Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L4HSK 3.0L4IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1

Podcast: 毕业

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Podcast: 毕业

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AI Study Notes for 毕业

Quick Contrast

完成 (wánchéng) - use 毕业 when specifically referring to the completion of an academic program, while 完成 is more general and can refer to finishing any task.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 毕业 with just 'finish' or 'complete' without the educational context. This term is typically used in formal contexts, such as ceremonies, but can also appear in casual conversations about school. Note that the tone pronunciation is crucial; mispronouncing the tones can change the meaning.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK 4 word, 毕业 connects well with other educational terms at this level, like 学习 (study) and 学校 (school). Students should focus on using it in sentences related to their own educational experiences and future aspirations.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 毕业 to mean 'finish' in a general sense, such as saying '我毕业了这本书' (Wǒ bì yè le zhè běn shū), which means 'I graduated this book.' The correct term for 'finish reading' would be 读完 (dú wán).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 毕业

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Component Characters

毕bìthe whole of
HSK 46 strokes比
View full entry
业yèline of business
HSK 65 strokes一
View full entry

How to say graduation in Chinese

“graduation” in Chinese is毕业bìyè

毕业 (bì yè) refers to the completion of an academic program or course, commonly translated as 'graduation' in English. It is often used in contexts related to students finishing high school, college, or university, marking a significant milestone in education and personal development.

When to use 毕业

Common mistakes include confusing 毕业 with just 'finish' or 'complete' without the educational context. This term is typically used in formal contexts, such as ceremonies, but can also appear in casual conversations about school. Note that the tone pronunciation is crucial; mispronouncing the tones can change the meaning.

毕业 or something close to it

完成 (wánchéng) - use 毕业 when specifically referring to the completion of an academic program, while 完成 is more general and can refer to finishing any task.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 毕业 to mean 'finish' in a general sense, such as saying '我毕业了这本书' (Wǒ bì yè le zhè běn shū), which means 'I graduated this book.' The correct term for 'finish reading' would be 读完 (dú wán).

Write 毕业

毕
业

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

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Grammar Patterns of 毕业

毕业 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.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

自从她____以后，我们就再也没见过面。

Ever since she graduated, we have never met again.

Example Sentences for 毕业 (14)

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ngraduation12
1
我毕业后可以不费吹灰之力地找到任何工作。

wǒ bì yè hòu kě yǐ bù fèi chuī huī zhī lì dì zhǎo dào rèn hé gōng zuò。

When I left school, I could walk into any job.
2
毕业税具体操作起来不啻一场行政噩梦。

bì yè shuì jù tǐ cāo zuò qǐ lái bù chì yī cháng háng zhèng è mèng。

In practice a graduate tax is an administrative nightmare.
3
所有入学新生中约有40%在4年内毕业。

suǒ yǒu rù xué xīn shēng zhōng yuē yǒu40% 40%4 zài 4 nián nèi。

About 40% of all students entering as freshmen graduate within 4 years.
4
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.
5
现在他只需再修两个学分就可以毕业了。

xiàn zài tā zhī xū zài xiū liǎng gè xué fēn jiù kě yǐ bì yè le。

Now he needs only two credit hours to graduate.
6
中学毕业生中有1/4的人读写有问题。

zhōng xué bì yè shēng zhōng yǒu1/4 1/4 de rén dú xiě yǒu wèn。

One in four pupils leaving secondary school can't read or write properly.
7
在我弟弟的高中毕业典礼上，学生们朗诵了一首诗。

zài wǒ dì dì de gāo zhōng bì yè diǎn lǐ shàng， ， xué shēng mén lǎng sòng le yī shǒu。

At my brother's high school graduation the students recited a poem.
8
“你一定要来参加廷斯利的毕业聚会。”——“我很乐意。”

“ “ nǐ yī dìng yào lái cān jiā tíng sī lì de bì yè jù。”——“ huì 。”——“ wǒ hěn。”

"You must come to Tinsley's graduation party." — "I'd be delighted."
9
康妮在学校表现很好，以优异的成绩毕业了。

kāng nī zài xué xiào biǎo xiàn hěn hǎo， ， yǐ yōu yì de chéng jì bì yè。

Connie did well at school and graduated with honours.
10
很多毕业生就职于电子和计算机行业。

hěn duō bì yè shēng jiù zhí yú diàn zǐ hé jì suàn jī háng yè。

Many graduates are employed in the electronics and computing industries.
11
他在毕业典礼上发表演讲，表达了对母校的感激之情。

Tā zài bìyè diǎnlǐ shàng fābiǎo yǎnjiǎng, biǎodále duì mǔxiào de gǎnjī zhīqíng.

He gave a speech at the graduation ceremony, expressing his gratitude to the alma mater.
12
小李在毕业后选择继续深造，而不是马上就业。

Xiǎo Lǐ zài bìyè hòu xuǎnzé jìxù shēnzào, ér bùshì mǎshàng jiùyè.

After graduation, Xiao Li chose to further his studies instead of immediately seeking employment.
nto graduate2
13
我打算毕业后去国外旅行。

Wǒ dǎsuàn bìyè hòu qù guówài lǚxíng.

I plan to travel abroad after graduating.
14
她终于从大学毕业，开始了她的新工作。

Tā zhōngyú cóng dàxué bìyè, kāishǐle tā de xīn gōngzuò.

She finally graduated from university and started her new job.

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Cultural Notes for 毕业

🌏Cross-cultural Insight

In Western cultures, graduation often includes elaborate ceremonies and celebrations, whereas in China, while ceremonies are also significant, they may be more subdued and focused on family gatherings.

Frequently Asked Questions about 毕业

You would say '我去年毕业了' (Wǒ qù nián bì yè le).

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