School Subjects in Chinese: Vocabulary, Pinyin & Easy Sentences for Kids

Your child already knows these subjects well. They just know them in English. This guide gives you the Chinese words, with pinyin, plus simple sentences for talking about the school day. Start with a few subjects and build from there.

How Do You Say “School Subject” in Chinese?

Three words come up again and again. Each one has a slightly different job.

数学是我最喜欢的科目。
Shùxué shì wǒ zuì xǐhuān de kēmù.
Math is my favorite subject.

中文是一门重要的学科。
Zhōngwén shì yì mén zhòngyào de xuékē.
Chinese is an important subject.

数学 → 数学课 (math class)
英语 → 英语课 (English class)
中文 → 中文课 (Chinese class)

Key pattern to remember:

门 or 节? Counting subjects and class periods

Two measure words show up with 课, and they do different jobs.

• 门 (mén) counts subjects or courses:
  • 我这学期有六门课。
  • Zhè xuéqī wǒ yǒu liù mén kè.
  • I have six subjects this term.
• 节 (jié) counts class periods, so it fits a daily timetable:
  • 今天我有四节课。
  • Jīntiān wǒ yǒu sì jié kè.
  • I have four classes today.

To ask which class someone likes best, use 门: 你最喜欢哪门课？ Nǐ zuì xǐhuān nǎ mén kè? Usage varies a little by school and region, so don’t worry about getting it perfect. For more on how measure words work, see our Chinese measure words guide.

10 Common School Subjects in Chinese

Here are ten subjects to learn first. The last column shows what children usually do in that class, which makes the word easier to remember.

More School Subjects in Chinese

Older students will meet these too: 化学 (huàxué, chemistry), 物理 (wùlǐ, physics), 生物 (shēngwù, biology) and 外语 (wàiyǔ, foreign language).

中文, 汉语 or 语文: what’s the difference?

中文 (zhōngwén) and 汉语 (hànyǔ) both mean the Chinese language. 中文 is the everyday choice, and it works well for Chinese class. 汉语 often appears in textbooks and language-learning materials.

You may also hear 语文 (yǔwén). In mainland Chinese schools, this is the usual name for the school subject that covers reading, writing and literature. In Taiwan, the subject is commonly called 國語 (guóyǔ). Your child might hear any of these from teachers, textbooks or relatives, and all of them point to the same idea.

And 电脑课?

电脑 (diànnǎo) means “computer,” so 电脑课 means “computer class.” It’s easy for kids to remember. In mainland school timetables you may also see 信息技术 (xìnxī jìshù) or 信息科技 for the same subject.

Talk About School Subjects in Chinese

Once children know the subject names, they can start using them. These patterns cover most everyday school talk.

Asking about classes

• 你今天有什么课？
  Nǐ jīntiān yǒu shénme kè?
  What classes do you have today?
• 你今天上了什么课？
  Nǐ jīntiān shàng le shénme kè?
  What classes did you have today?
• 第一节课是什么课？
  Dì yī jié kè shì shénme kè?
  What is the first class?

Favorites

• 你最喜欢哪门课？
  Nǐ zuì xǐhuān nǎ mén kè?
  Which class do you like best?
• 我最喜欢美术课。
  Wǒ zuì xǐhuān měishù kè.
  I like art class best.

Not-so-favorites

• 我不太喜欢数学。
  Wǒ bú tài xǐhuān shùxué.
  I don’t really like math.
• 我喜欢体育，但我不喜欢数学。
  Wǒ xǐhuān tǐyù, dàn wǒ bù xǐhuān shùxué.
  I like PE, but I don’t like math.

What you do in class

• 你在数学课上做什么？
  Nǐ zài shùxué kè shàng zuò shénme?
  What do you do in math class?
• 我做数学题。
  Wǒ zuò shùxué tí.
  I do math problems.

Timetable Words to Add

A few extra words turn a list of subjects into a real timetable.

Put them together:

星期一上午，我有两节课：数学和英语。
Xīngqī yī shàngwǔ, wǒ yǒu liǎng jié kè: shùxué hé yīngyǔ.
On Monday morning, I have two classes: math and English.

Need the other days? See days of the week in Chinese. For class start times, try how to tell time in Chinese.

Useful Patterns and Common Slips

Word order for favorites. Say 你最喜欢的课是什么？ Don’t add an extra 的 at the start (你的最喜欢的课). Or use the shorter 你最喜欢哪门课？ Both sound natural.

Name the class with 课. 电脑 on its own means the computer. Say 电脑课 when you mean the class.

Pick 门 or 节. Use 门 for how many subjects, and 节 for how many class periods. See the note above.

Mind the tones. Pinyin tone marks are easy to skip when you’re starting out. If your child needs help with them, these tone games for parents are a gentle place to begin.

5 Fun Ways to Practice School Subjects in Chinese

1. Make a weekly timetable in Chinese

Copy your child’s real school schedule. Write each subject in Chinese next to its time slot, and hang it where your child will see it. Each morning, point to the day’s classes and ask: 你今天有什么课？

2. Play flashcard matching games

Print the subject words and pictures, mix them up, and let your child match them. Start with five subjects. Add more as the first ones feel easy.

3. Label your learning space

Put Chinese subject labels around the room. When you pass one, say the word together. Little moments like these give children more chances to recognize and use the vocabulary.

4. Play “Guess the subject”

Describe a class without naming it. “We do experiments in this class. What is it?” Your child guesses: 科学! Then swap roles.

5. Talk about the real school day

The best practice is the day your child actually had. After school, ask:

你今天上了什么课？
你最喜欢哪门课？
你今天在美术课上做了什么？

One-word answers count. If your child answers in English, repeat the Chinese version back naturally and keep going. For more ideas, see these Chinese conversation activities for kids.

Frequently Asked Questions

Key Takeaways

• Start with five to seven core subjects.
• Add 课 to a subject name to say “class.”
• Use 门 for subjects and 节 for class periods.
• You may hear 中文, 汉语 and 语文. They all point to Chinese class.
• Talk about your child’s real school day for the best practice.

Related School Vocabulary and Resources

• School Life in Chinese — Classroom objects, people at school and school subjects in one place.
• Back-to-School Supply List for Chinese Studies — Stationery and classroom supplies that help with Chinese learning.

Ready-made practice

• What Do You Study? School Subjects Flashcard Set — Teach 10 Mandarin school subject words with Montessori 3-part flashcards. Includes 20 vocabulary cards, 10 sentence cards and 1 audio file.
• Chinese Classroom Setup Pack — Bilingual welcome signs, subject labels, rules posters, reward charts and certificates for a Chinese classroom or homeschool corner.
• Speak Chinese with Kids — Everyday conversation scenes with audio, video and printable scripts. You don’t need to speak Chinese to use it.

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