Toll Free - U.S.& Canada:  1-800-791-9386   Hong Kong:  800-930-623   Australia:  1-800-779-835
Free online Chinese learning support
  • Follow us on Facebook!
  • Watch Our YouTube Videos!
  • Follow us on Twitter!
  • Follow us on WeChat!
    Follow Us in WeChat by Scanning!
    Follow Us in "WeChat"
    by Scanning
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • Explore Our Instagram Videos & Photos!
United Kingdom:  0-800-086-8969   Germany:  0-800-180-0341   Singapore:  800-130-1652
France:  0-805-080-689   Spain:  900-838-906    

“学霸(xué bà)”-Curve Wrecker at School

Apr. 4, 2015

Literally, “霸()” means “to dominate, lord over, tyrannize over or rule by force.”

xué bà
学    霸

“学霸(xué bà)” is a new buzzword that has recently been spread widely on the Internet, but we also use it in our daily lives. If we call someone a “学霸(xué bà),” we mean that he or she is a hard-working student, good at studying, and has extensive knowledge. Usually, a “学霸(xué bà)” gets excellent scores on exams. A “学霸(xué bà)” is approximately the equivalent to a “curve wrecker” or a “super scholar.”

Example

Mǎ Dōnɡxīn hé Mǎ Dōnɡhán shì yíduì shuānɡbāotāi, tāmen shì qīnɡhuádàxué de “xué bà
马     冬昕    和  马    冬晗      是   一对      双胞胎,      她们   是      清华大学     的   “学  霸

jiěmèihuā.”
 姐妹花”。
Ma Dongxin and Ma Donghan are twins. They are “super scholar twins” at Tsinghua University.

xué zhā
学     渣

“学渣(xué zhā)” is the opposite of “学霸(xué bà).” It is a phrase that generally refers to students who do not show interest in studying and who never brush up before exams. We call them “study slackers,” but usually the word doesn’t actually contain any derogatory meaning in Chinese.

Example

Nǐ xiānɡxìn ma? Tā shànɡxué de shíhou shì ɡè “xuézhā!”
你 相信       吗?他     上学      的    时候   是  个  “学渣”!
Can you believe it? He was a study slacker when he was in school!

mài bà
麦   霸

“麦霸(mài bà)” is a word that is usually used in spoken Chinese. Basically, it has two meanings. On one hand, it refers to someone who can sing lots of songs and sings very well. It is a complimentary term in this case and can be translated as “mic queen,” “mic king,” or “karaoke master.” On the other hand, it is used as a derogatory term which refers to someone who monopolizes the microphone all the time when he sings karaoke, no matter how unpleasantly he sings. Sometimes, this can be a torment for the other listeners. In this sense, the phrase can be translated as “mic hog.”

Examples

Wáng Lì:  Lǐ  Tiān, nǐ huì chànɡ zhème duō ɡē, zhēnshì màibà ā!
王      丽:李 天,  你 会   唱      这么     多  歌, 真是     麦霸  啊!
Wang Li: Li Tian, you can sing so many songs. You’re really a karaoke master!

Lǐ Tiān: Xiè xie, wǒ zhǐshì xǐhuan chànggē.
李  天:谢谢, 我   只是    喜欢      唱歌。
Li Tian: Thank you, I just love singing.

Xiǎohónɡ pínɡshí bú ài shuōhuà, dànshì hěn xǐhuan chànɡ'ɡē, tā shì màibà.
小红            平时   不 爱    说话,    但是   很    喜欢       唱歌,  她 是   麦霸。
Xiaohong doesn’t usually say much, but she loves singing. She turns into a mic queen when she goes to KTV.

Quiz

1. Tā xuéxí hěn nǔlì,   měicì kǎoshì dōushì dìyī.
     他  学习 很   努力,每次  考试      都是  第一。

 According to what we know from the sentence above, we can call him a _________.

A. 学霸(xué bà)

B. 学渣(xué zhā)

C. 麦霸(mài bà)

2. If you go to sing karaoke with some friends and one of them hogs the microphone the whole time, you can call him or her a _____________.

A. 唱霸(chàng bà)

B. 歌霸(gē bà)

C. 麦霸(mài bà)

See Answers

Chinese Popular Words

General Chinese (Beginner Level)

General Chinese (Intermediate Level)

 

Got questions? Take a free 1-to-1 lesson with one of our professional teachers by signing up below:
Name: 
E-mail: 
Country/Region: 
-select-

search no result

Tel: 
By clicking Submit, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Your email address and phone number
will be kept STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.
Submit

Write a comment

Your Name: 
Your Email:  Your email address will not be published.
Comments: 
Verification Code:  Verification Code Unclear? Try another one
By clicking Submit, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Email This Article
Recipients' email addresses:
(separate recipients with comma)
Your name:
Your e-mail address (optional):
Your message (optional):
Verification Code:
By clicking Send, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.


Get 11 FREE Mandarin E-books
Sign up for a free trial now!
Get more information about our Chinese lessons through live chat
Get a FREE live 1-to-1 lesson and FREE e-books. Complete the form below:
Name:
E-mail:
Country/Region:
-select-

search no result

Tel:
By clicking Submit, you agree to our
Terms of Service
and Privacy Policy.
Your email address and phone number
will be kept STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.