数学 (shù xué) literally means 'the study of numbers' — 数 (shù) means 'number' or 'numerical quantity', and 学 (xué) means 'study' or 'learning'. Together, they form the standard term for 'mathematics' in modern Chinese, covering arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, and other branches of quantitative reasoning. It is a core academic subject taught from elementary school through university.

The word is used broadly in educational, professional, and everyday contexts — for example, when referring to a school subject, a university department, a research field, or even abstract thinking skills. Unlike English, where 'math' is informal and 'mathematics' formal, 数学 is neutral and appropriate in all registers. It’s rarely shortened in formal writing, though colloquially some may say 数 (shù) alone in casual speech — but this is ambiguous and best avoided by learners.