研究生 (yánjiūshēng) · graduate student
研究生 (yánjiūshēng) means “graduate student; postgraduate”. It is written with 3 characters: 研 (to grind) + 究 (to dig into) + 生 (to give birth). It is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 研究生 is built
The characters
研 yán · to grind
What 研 is made of
- 石shí — stone
- 厂chǎng — cliff
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 开kāi — to open
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 廾gǒng — two hands
Origin hint: 石 gives the meaning, 开 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
究 jiū · to dig into
What 究 is made of
- 穴xué — cave
- 宀 — roof
- 丶 — dot
- 冖mì — cover
- 八bā — eight
- 宀 — roof
- 九jiǔ — nine
- 丿 — falling stroke
- 乙yǐ — second
Origin hint: 穴 gives the meaning, 九 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
生 shēng · to give birth
What 生 is made of
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 土tǔ — earth
- 十 — ten
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 十 — ten
Origin hint: A shoot 屮 growing in the soil 土 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
Questions about 研究生
What does 研究生 mean?
研究生 (yánjiūshēng) means “graduate student; postgraduate”.
How do you pronounce 研究生?
研究生 is pronounced yánjiūshēng.
Which HSK level is 研究生?
研究生 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025) and HSK 4 (2021).
Related words
- 研究yánjiūto research
- 研制yánzhìto develop
- 钻研zuānyánto study intensively
- 讲究jiǎngjiuto be particular about
- 究竟jiūjìngexactly
- 终究zhōngjiūafter all
- 追究zhuījiūto look into
- 大学生dàxuéshēnguniversity student
- 男生nánshēngboy
- 女生nǚshēnggirl
It is part of HSK 4 (2021) · Group 48: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.