小学生 (xiǎo xué shēng) — primary school student, schoolchild

Definition

A primary school student (age ∼6–12). Pairs naturally with 中学生 for the next school stage, and fits under the general term 学生.

noun

primary school studentschoolchild

Measure word · 个, 名

小学生。
Tā shì yí gè xiǎo xué shēng.
He is a primary school student.
小学生。
Zhè ge xiǎo xué shēng zài kàn shū.
This primary school student is reading a book.
小学生。
Wǒ rèn shi nà ge xiǎo xué shēng.
I know that primary school student.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

小学primary school

偏正Modifier + head

小学生 is a primary-school student: 小学 names the school and 生 names the person.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 學; 学 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 學 may have used 爻 and 六 for sound, with hands and a child added later; the simplified 学 is a shorthand.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Appears in