学堂

學堂

xuétáng

noun HSK 7 #44,112

Measure Word

一所学堂 suǒ

Meanings

1 school (old-fashioned term)
2 private school; academy (historical)

Characters

to study; learning

Literally 'study hall' — a place for learning, used before the modern term 学校 replaced it.

Examples

清朝末年开始设立新式学堂。

Qīngcháo mònián kāishǐ shèlì xīnshì xuétáng.

New-style schools began to be established in the late Qing Dynasty.

爷爷小时候上的是私塾学堂。

Yéye xiǎoshíhou shàng de shì sīshú xuétáng.

Grandfather attended a private school when he was young.

Tips

history

学堂 was the standard word for 'school' in late Qing Dynasty and early Republican China, when the country was modernizing its education system. After 1912, 学校 (xuéxiào) gradually replaced it. Today 学堂 sounds archaic and is mainly used in historical contexts or as a nostalgic brand name.

Stroke Order

学 xué

堂 táng