研究生 yánjiūshēng graduate student
graduate student; postgraduate student; research student
How to remember 研究生: 研 research + 究 investigate + 生 life = graduate student.
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How it is used
- Standard academic noun for a graduate/postgraduate student, parallel in structure to 大学生 (undergraduate) and 高中生 (high schooler).
- 考研究生 / 考研 (take the grad school entrance exam) is a hugely common phrase in student life.
- 她在读研究生 (tā zài dú yánjiūshēng) - She's a grad student / doing her graduate studies.
- 研 alone rarely stands by itself in speech; it mainly appears bound in compounds like 研究 and 研究生.