高才生 (gāo cái shēng) — outstanding student, gifted student, top student

Definition

A 'gifted / outstanding student' — a straightforward term for someone with top academic performance, not a formal or written-only label.

noun

outstanding studentgifted studenttop student

Measure word · 个

Easily confused

，高才生。
Tā cóng xiǎo jiù chéng jì yōu yì, shì xué xiào lǐ de gāo cái shēng.
He has had excellent grades since childhood and is an outstanding student at school.
高才生。
Zhè cì kǎo shì dì yī míng yí dìng shì gè gāo cái shēng.
The first place in this exam must be a top student.
高才生。
Měi gè xué xiào dōu yǒu jǐ gè chū míng de gāo cái shēng.
Every school has a few well-known outstanding students.

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.

高才great talent

偏正Modifier + head

高才 means great talent; 生 is a person, so a gifted student.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

高 was drawn as a tall building.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

才 originally drew a sharp peg, not a sprout growing from the ground.

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.