一本

yīběn

noun

Meanings

1 tier-1 university (first-batch admission in gaokao system)
2 first-batch college admission

Characters

undergraduate (short for 本科)

Examples

HSK 3

这所学校已经从二本升为一本。

Zhè suǒ xuéxiào yǐjīng cóng èrběn shēng wéi yīběn.

This school has been upgraded from tier-2 to tier-1.

HSK 6

他的分数刚好过了一本线。

Tā de fēnshù gānghǎo guò le yīběn xiàn.

His score just barely cleared the tier-1 cutoff.

Tips

culture

Short for 第一批本科. Chinese undergraduate universities used to be split into 一本 (top tier), 二本, 三本 (now phased out) by gaokao admission batch. Many provinces have merged the tiers since 2019, but 一本 remains shorthand for 'good university.'

Stroke Order

一 yī

本 běn