书生 (shū shēng) — scholar (often in a traditional or historical context); bookish person; impractical intellectual (sometimes derogatory)
Definition
书生 is a scholar in the traditional/literary sense — someone defined by book learning, often portrayed as naive about real-world affairs. In modern use it can sound slightly dismissive, like calling someone a 'bookish intellectual'.
noun
scholar (often in a traditional or historical context)bookish personimpractical intellectual (sometimes derogatory)
Measure word · 个
Examples
- 书生。Gǔ dài hěn duō shū shēng dōu xī wàng tōng guò kē jǔ kǎo shì gǎi biàn mìng yùn.In ancient times, many scholars hoped to change their fate through the imperial examinations.
- 书生,。Tā zhǐ shì yí gè shū shēng, duì shí jì shēng yì yí qiào bù tōng.He's just a bookish scholar with no understanding of real business.
- 书生,。Xiǎo shuō lǐ de shū shēng wǎng wǎng xìng gé jué jiàng, dàn xīn dì shàn liáng.The scholar in the novel is often stubborn in character but kind-hearted.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.