The cat in the meme is expressing exactly what millions of students feel on a Monday morning. But even if you are not good with mondays, the grammar lesson hidden inside this phrase is worth unpacking.
不想上学 (bù xiǎng shàng xué) — Don’t want to go to school
不 – bù – not/don’t
想 – xiǎng – want
上 – shàng – to go up/to attend
学 – xué – school/study
= 上学 – shàng xué – to go to school
! 上 (shàng) is a versatile verb meaning “to go up” or “to attend.” It pairs with different nouns to make common phrases: 上学 (go to school), 上课 (go to class), 上班 (go to work). The pattern is always 上 + place/activity.
!不 is the standard negation word in Chinese. It sits directly before the verb or mental state it negates. The cat is using it to negate 想 (want), which then carries the whole following action (上学) with it. So to say “I want to go to school” say “想上学”
