Difference between 学, 校 and 学校 你好！

What's the difference between 学 (xue2), 校 (xiao4) and 学校 (xue2 xiao4)? I know the definitions but the thing with context is quite hard.

The first one simply means 'to study' or 'academic'. However, it seems to be used as 'school' apparently.

The second one claims to be "school"

The third one claims to be used in Wo3 qu4 xue2 xiao4 ("我去学校"), which means "I go to school".

Is it to do with context? For example, is the first used to represent a school and the third as its building (the building itself)? Why represent this as a few characters meaning almost the same?

So, what is the difference? Please help.

Thank you
Steve Woods.
"学校" is a compound word means "school"

The character "学" is also in other compound words like 小学 (primary school), 中学 (middle school), and 大学 (university)

The character "校" is also in other specific terms like 軍校 (military school), 警校 (police academy)


軍校 is short for 軍事学校
警校 is short for 警察学校
校 is just a short form of 学校 in these terms


Just like in English, the term "学校" (school) refers to the institution itself, it can be a whole building or buildings; a single room where a piano teacher teaches a few students can also be called a school (piano school)