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校长 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
校长xiàozhǎng(college, university) presidentHSK 3, n, rank #2535, Medium
校长xiàozhǎngheadmasterHSK 3, n, rank #2535, Medium
校长xiàozhǎng>个[gè],位[wèi],名[míng]HSK 3, n, rank #2535, Medium
xiàozhǎng(xiao4zhang3) T4
  1. 1(college, university) president
  2. 2headmaster
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March 24, 2026
校长(校長)xiàozhǎng(xiao4zhang3)

校长 (xiàozhǎng) refers to the headmaster of a school or the president of a college or university. This term is commonly used in educational contexts to denote the highest authority in an institution, responsible for administrative decisions and leadership.

Frequency#2535DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In China, the role of a 校长 is not only administrative but also carries significant influence in shaping the school's culture and policies. The 校长 often participates in community events, reflecting the school's values.

Memory Tip

Think of 校 (xiào) as a 'school' and 长 (zhǎng) as 'leader' or 'long'. Imagine a tall figure, the 'leader' of the school, standing at the entrance, welcoming students. This image connects the character's meaning to its pronunciation.

Meanings of 校长

xiàozhǎng(xiao4zhang3)
1(college, university) president
2headmaster
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About 校长

校长Simplified
校長Traditional
—Strokes
—Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#2535Frequency Rank
个Measure Word
HSK 2.0L3HSK 3.0L3ElementaryTOCFLL2HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 校长

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Podcast: 校长

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AI Study Notes for 校长

Quick Contrast

副校长 (fùxiàozhǎng) refers to the vice-principal or deputy headmaster, while 校长 (xiàozhǎng) specifically denotes the principal or headmaster.

Memory Mnemonic

Think of 校 (xiào) as a 'school' and 长 (zhǎng) as 'leader' or 'long'. Imagine a tall figure, the 'leader' of the school, standing at the entrance, welcoming students. This image connects the character's meaning to its pronunciation.

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tones; using the wrong tone can lead to misunderstanding. 校长 is typically used in formal contexts, so it may not be appropriate in casual conversations. Common collocations include '校长办公室' (xiàozhǎng bàngōngshì - principal's office) and '校长的讲话' (xiàozhǎng de jiǎnghuà - principal's speech).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 3 word, 校长 connects to other educational terminology, such as 学校 (xuéxiào - school) and 学生 (xuéshēng - student). Focus on using it in sentences that describe roles within schools or universities.

Cultural Note

In China, the role of a 校长 is not only administrative but also carries significant influence in shaping the school's culture and policies. The 校长 often participates in community events, reflecting the school's values.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 校长 with other titles like 老师 (lǎoshī - teacher) or 学生 (xuéshēng - student), leading to incorrect usage. For example, saying '我是一校长' (Wǒ shì yī xiàozhǎng - I am a student) instead of '我是一名学生' (Wǒ shì yī míng xuéshēng - I am a student).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 校长

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Component Characters

校jiàoschool
HSK 210 strokes木
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长chángchief
HSK 24 strokes长
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Write 校长

校
长

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Grammar Patterns of 校长

校长 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons3
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

____亲自联系学生实习的公司。

The principal personally contacted the companies for student internships.

Example Sentences for 校长 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
要当校长，你就得脸皮厚一些。

yào dāng xiào cháng， ， nǐ jiù dé liǎn pí hòu yī。

You need a thick skin to be a headmaster.
2
哪个校长只要犯了这样的错误都会被开除。

nǎ gè xiào cháng zhī yào fàn le zhè yàng de cuò wù dū huì bèi kāi chú。

Any head teacher who made errors like this would be chucked out.
3
他是英格兰西部一所公学的校长。

tā shì yīng gé lán xī bù yī suǒ gōng xué de xiào cháng。

He was headmaster of a public school in the West of England.
4
女校长毕业于牛津大学。

nǚ xiào cháng bì yè yú niú jīn dà xué。

The headmistress was an Oxford woman.
5
我因为行为不检点而受到女校长的斥责.

wǒ yīn wéi háng wéi bù jiǎn diǎn ér shòu dào nǚ xiào cháng de chì zé.

I was called to account for my conduct by the headmistress.
6
校长是位男老师.

xiào cháng shì wèi nán lǎo shī.

A school master is a male teacher.
7
申请书连同完整个人简历和两份推荐信必须在6月12日以前送达校长处。

shēn qǐng shū lián tóng wán zhěng gè rén jiǎn lì hé liǎng fèn tuī jiàn xìn bì xū zài6 612 yuè 12 rì yǐ qián sòng dá xiào。

Applications with a full curriculum vitae and two references should reach the Principal by June 12th.
8
校长在等着有人站出来承认。

xiào cháng zài děng zháo yǒu rén zhàn chū lái chéng rèn。

The headmaster is waiting for someone to own up.
9
现任校长萨朵夫尼奇院士.

xiàn rèn xiào cháng sà duǒ fū ní qí yuàn shì.

Currently hold the post ofNi Ji academician of president Sa Duofu.
10
新来的校长体形还挺不错呢!

xīn lái de xiào cháng tǐ xíng huán tǐng bù cuò ne!

The new schoolmaster has some build!

Cultural Notes for 校长

🏮Cultural insight

In China, the role of a 校长 is not only administrative but also carries significant influence in shaping the school's culture and policies. The 校长 often participates in community events, reflecting the school's values.

Frequently Asked Questions about 校长

校长 refers to the head of the school or university, while 教授 (jiàoshòu) means 'professor', a teaching position within the institution.