补课用英语怎么说

I often get asked by friends learning English, “补课” exactly how to say it. This question is simple, but the answer isn’t a single word. The way you say it depends entirely on why you’re taking the extra class. Let me break it down for you based on different situations. It’s like this: you go to a different restaurant depending on whether you want a quick bite or a fancy dinner. The same logic applies here.

第一种情况：因为缺课而补课 (Making Up for Missed Classes)

This is the most straightforward scenario. Let’s say you were sick last week and missed a couple of math classes. Now you need to catch up on what you missed. The most common and direct way to say this is to use the phrase “make up for a missed lesson” or “make up a missed class.”

It’s very literal. “Make up” here means to compensate or remedy. So you’re literally making up for the class you didn’t attend.

Here’s how you’d use it in a real conversation:

“I was sick last Tuesday, so I need to talk to the teacher about scheduling a make-up class.” (我上周二生病了，所以得跟老师谈谈安排一次补课。)

“He is very busy, he may not have the time to help you make up for a missed lesson.” (他很忙，不一定有时间帮你补课。)

Sometimes, people might also say “reschedule a class,” but that usually implies moving a future class. “Make up a missed lesson” specifically refers to catching up on something you’ve already missed.

第二种情况：为了提高成绩或备考 (For Better Grades or Exam Prep)

This is where it gets more interesting and where most of the confusion comes from. This is the kind of “补课” that’s incredibly common in many parts of Asia. It’s not about making up for missed content, but about getting ahead, reinforcing learning, or preparing for a big exam like the SATs or other university entrance exams.

For this, there are a few good options, each with a slightly different flavor.

1. Tutoring / Private Tutoring

This is probably the most widely understood term. When you hire someone to help you or your child with a specific subject, that’s tutoring. It can be one-on-one or in a small group. The person who teaches is a tutor.

• “My parents got me a tutor for math because I’m struggling with algebra.” (我爸妈给我请了个数学家教，因为我代数不太好。)
• “She attends weekly tutoring sessions to improve her English writing.” (她每周都去上辅导课来提高她的英语写作水平。)

Tutoring emphasizes personalized help. The focus is on the student’s specific weaknesses and needs. You can have “private tutoring” which is one-on-one, or “group tutoring” which involves a few students. Both are very common.

2. Cram School

This term is very specific and might be the most accurate for the large-scale, exam-focused institutions popular in places like Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. A cram school (in Chinese, it’s literally a 补习班) is a specialized school that trains students to pass specific exams. The name comes from the idea of “cramming” a lot of information into your head in a short amount of time.

These schools are all about exam-taking strategies, drilling practice problems, and memorizing key information. They are less about deep understanding and more about getting high scores.

• “He goes to a cram school every night to prepare for the university entrance exam.” (他每晚都去补习班，为大学入学考试做准备。)
• In Hong Kong, some famous cram school teachers are treated like celebrities and are called “King of tutors (补习天王)”.

So, if you’re talking about a big center with hundreds of students all studying for the same test, cram school is the perfect term.

3. Extra Lessons / Additional Lessons

This is a more general and neutral term. It’s a good catch-all phrase if you’re not sure whether “tutoring” or “cram school” fits. It simply means lessons you take outside of your regular school schedule.

• “My daughter takes extra lessons in piano and English.” (我女儿在上钢琴和英语的课外课。)
• “The school offers additional lessons for students who want to improve their science grades.” (学校为想提高科学成绩的学生提供额外课程。)

This phrase doesn’t have the intense, exam-focused feeling of “cram school,” nor does it necessarily imply you’re struggling, which “tutoring” sometimes can. It just means more learning.

第三种情况：针对学习困难的“补差” (For Students Falling Behind)

Sometimes “补课” is specifically for students who are falling behind their classmates. The goal isn’t just to get an A, but to catch up to the basic, expected level. In this case, the best term is remedial classes or remedial education.

The word “remedial” comes from “remedy,” which means to fix a problem. These classes are designed to address learning gaps and build a stronger foundation in a subject.

• “He had to take remedial classes in reading to catch up to his grade level.” (他必须上阅读补习班，才能跟上他所在年级的水平。)
• Colleges sometimes require students to take remedial courses in math or writing if their entrance exam scores are low, and these courses usually don’t count for college credit.

This term is very specific. You wouldn’t use “remedial class” to describe a high-achieving student taking extra lessons to get into a top university. It’s strictly for helping students who are struggling to meet the standard requirements. Other similar terms could be “developmental classes” or “intervention classes.”

总结一下，怎么选词？

So, how do you choose the right word? Ask yourself: “What’s the purpose of this class?”

• 只是因为请假了，要补上错过的课？

  • 用 make up a missed class/lesson.

• 是为了在学校课程之外，进一步提高成绩，或者准备考试？

  • 如果是一对一或者小班教学，强调个性化辅导，用 tutoring.
  • 如果是那种大型的、专门针对升学考试的机构，用 cram school.
  • 如果只是想泛泛地说课外加课，不特指形式，用 extra lessons.

• 是因为学习跟不上，需要弥补基础知识？

  • 用 remedial class.

Understanding these differences makes your English more precise. It shows you not only know the words but also the culture and context behind them. Next time you talk about “补课,” you’ll know exactly which word to pick from your toolbox.