To flap wings repeatedly while learning to fly.
To study, practice, learn, or be familiar with something; habit or custom. A young bird's wing (习, from 羽) flapping over and over above a white target (白 in 習) until it masters flight.
习
Common Usage & Traps
- 学习 — to study, to learn
- 练习 — to practice
- 习惯 — habit; to be used to
- 复习 — to review (lessons)
- 预习 — to preview (lessons before class)
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我习中文我学习中文 / 我学中文习 can't stand alone as a verb. It only lives inside two-character words like 学习, 练习, 复习.
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我很习中文我很爱学中文You can't drop 学 and keep 习. The action verb is 学; 习 is just the tail end of the word.
Can you just say 我习中文 instead of 我学习中文?
No. 习 is a team player, not a solo act. It almost always needs a partner like 学.
习 doesn't work by itself as a verb in everyday Mandarin. It shows up inside words like 学习, where 学 carries the main action and 习 completes the word. Saying 我习中文 sounds like you cut the word in half. Native speakers always use the full two-character word. Think of 习 like the '-ing' in 'studying' — you can't just say 'I study-ing Chinese.'
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday speech | 我学习汉语。 | 我习汉语。 |
| Short verb | 我学汉语。 | 我习汉语。 |
| As a noun | 我喜欢学习。 | 我喜欢习。 |
Is there a difference between 学 and 学习?
学 is the short, everyday version. 学习 is the full, slightly heavier version.
学 works fine by itself in casual talk: 我学汉语. 学习 sounds a bit more complete and is common in writing and formal settings. In daily conversation, people often just say 学. But 学习 is never wrong, just a bit heavier. The 习 part is why 学习 can't be shortened to just 习.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Casual chat | 我学汉语。 | 我学习汉语。(too formal for chat) |
| Writing | 我学习汉语。 | 我学汉语。(too casual for essay) |
| Title | 汉语学习 | 汉语学 |
If 习 means 'practice,' why isn't 练习 the same as 学习?
练习 is drilling a skill you already know. 学习 is acquiring something new.
练习 means to practice or drill — you already know the moves and you're polishing them. 学习 means to learn — you're getting new knowledge. So you 练习 piano scales, but you 学习 music theory. Both contain 习, but the first character flips the meaning: 练 = drill, 学 = acquire.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Drilling a skill | 我每天练习说中文。 | 我每天学习说中文。 |
| Acquiring knowledge | 我在学习中文语法。 | 我在练习中文语法。 |
| Habit vs action | 我习惯早起。 | 我练习早起。 |
Is 习 only used in words, or can it be a name too?
Yes — 习 is a real Chinese surname, most famously 习近平.
Even though 习 can't stand alone as a verb, it works perfectly as a surname. You'll see it in names like 习近平 (Xi Jinping). So the character isn't 'broken' — it just has a very specific job. As a standalone word it's a surname; as a building block it lives inside 学习, 练习, 习惯, and 复习.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| As a surname | 习近平 | 习 (as a verb) |
| In a word | 学习 | 习 (alone) |
| In a habit phrase | 习惯 | 习 (alone) |
Appears in Stories 8 stories
Is four years to reach HSK 5 fast or slow? Follow a conversation between two learners as they compare study hours and share realistic strategies for busy adults.
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A：你在学校里 学习 中文吗？
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我去年住在上海的时候，去一个汉语学校 学习 汉语，学了一个月。
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你知道， 学习 汉语很有意思，但是那个时候，我们班有三十个同学。
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有两千个小时这么多时间 学习 吗？
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六百个小时HSK五级，你的 学习 真好！
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我还有太多要 学习 的东西。
Join a beginner as they ask a Chinese friend to teach them how to cook. This simple HSK 1 dialogue shows that learning one dish at a time is the best way to start.
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我想和她 学习 做饭。
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小米说：“这没问题，你可以一个一个 学习 。”
Step through a full day—from morning routines to bedtime—and pick up practical phrases for telling time and talking about your own schedule with a typical Chinese rhyme.
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学习 到九点，睡觉十点半。
Meet Gao Youpeng, a friendly Beijing coworker who welcomes the narrator with local dishes and a simple language-exchange plan. This warm HSK 2 story is perfect for first readings about work and friendship.
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高友朋的英语不好，我想我可以和他一起 学习 。
Why would a millionaire leave a table of lobster and wagyu untouched? This story explores the hidden rules of business dining and the true cost of staying alert.
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他说，我这些年养成的 习惯 ，饭局上少吃，特别是不碰荤菜，碰了脑子就不清醒。
Ever wondered where old Beijing's tea-drinking culture has gone? Follow a visitor discovering why locals now avoid famous tea houses—and practice expressing surprise and comparisons in Chinese along the way.
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很多老北京以前是有去茶馆儿喝茶的 习惯 的。
This playful rhyme helps you learn family words in Chinese. Practice saying who's who with simple questions and answers!
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人人爱 学习 ，天天去学校，上午读读书，下午写写字。
Meet Xiao Shang, who is heading back to Shanghai. She compares two ways to travel and tells us why she prefers the slower one. This story helps you practice comparing transportation in simple Chinese.
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那个女孩儿是小商，是 小习 ， 习有朋 的女朋友。
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