14.7 Vocabulary: Schools

It is common for parents in Hong Kong to use school grades to indicate their children’s age. They may indicate the grade in Cantonese or English.

Kindergarten

幼稚園
jau3 zi6 jyun2
kindergarten
(4 grades; for children aged 2 to 6 years old)

Subject	讀 duk6 ‘to study’	緊 gan2 AP	(幼稚園) (jau3 zi6 jyun2) ‘kindergarten’	Grade in Cantonese
佢	讀	緊	(幼稚園)	低班	。
keoi5	duk6	gan2	(jau3 zi6 jyun2)	dai1 baan1	.
he / she	study	AP	kindergarten	K2
He or she is studying Lower Class at kindergarten.

Subject	讀 duk6 ‘to study’	緊 gan2 AP	Grade in English
佢	讀	緊	K3	。
keoi5	duk6	gan2	K3	.
he / she	study	AP	K3
He or she is studying Upper Class at kindergarten.

小學
siu2 hok6
primary school
(6 grades; for children aged 6 to 12 years old; similar to elementary school)

中學
zung1 hok6
secondary school
(6 grades; for those aged 12 to 17 years old; similar to middle school, junior high school and high school)

Notice the grades for secondary schools start from 1 again.

Subject	讀 duk6 ‘to study’	緊 gan2 AP	中 zung1 ‘secondary’	Grade in Cantonese (1 – 6)
佢	讀	緊	中	一	。
keoi5	duk6	gan2	zung1	jat1	.
he / she	study	AP	secondary	1
He or she is studying Secondary 1.

Subject	讀 duk6 ‘to study’	緊 gan2 AP	Form ‘secondary’	Grade in English (1 – 6)
佢	讀	緊	Form	6	。
keoi5	duk6	gan2	Form	6	.
he / she	study	AP	secondary	6
He or she is studying Secondary 6.

大學
daai6 hok6
university
(usually 4 years, more years for degrees in subjects like medicine, nursing and education)

Subject	讀 duk6 ‘to study’	緊 gan2 AP	大學 daai6 hok6 ‘university’	Year ‘year’	Year in English
佢	讀	緊	大學	Year	1	。
keoi5	duk6	gan2	daai6 hok6	Year	1	.
he / she	study	AP	university	year	1
He or she is studying Year 1 at university.

Subject	讀 duk6 ‘to study’	緊 gan2 AP	大學 daai6 hok6 ‘university’	第 + Year in Cantonese dai6 + Year in Cantonese	年 nin4 ‘year’
佢	讀	緊	大學	第四	年	。
keoi5	duk6	gan2	daai6 hok6	dai6 sei3	nin4	.
he / she	study	AP	university	fourth	year
He or she is studying Year 4 at university.