Meaning
博士 refers to the highest academic degree, equivalent to a PhD or doctorate in English. It can refer to both the degree itself and a person who holds this degree. The term is used in academic contexts to denote advanced scholarly achievement.
Usage
Commonly used in formal academic and professional settings. When addressing someone with a doctorate, you can say 王博士 (Dr. Wang). The term is also used in phrases like 博士生 (doctoral student) and 博士学位 (doctoral degree). It carries prestige and indicates the highest level of academic qualification.
Examples
- 01她正在美国读博士。.She is currently pursuing her PhD in the United States.
- 02李博士在这个领域很有名。.Dr. Li is very famous in this field.
Characters
Measure words
- 位一位博士
- 个三个博士
Common collocations
- 博士学位doctoral degree
- 博士生doctoral student
- 读博士to pursue a doctorate
- 博士论文doctoral dissertation
Origin
The term combines 博 (extensive/learned) and 士 (scholar), literally meaning 'extensively learned scholar.' Historically, 博士 was used in ancient China to refer to court scholars and officials with broad knowledge, dating back to the Qin Dynasty.