This is a list of Japanese words related to school and educational institutions.
I’ve always enjoyed school and If you are staring to use these terms either for yourself, or for a loved one, I wish you the best luck! While I haven’t attended a school in Japan personally, I hear that they are much more difficult than American schools on average, especially for earlier grades.
- 学校 (gakkou): school
- 幼稚園 (youchien): kindergarten (also キンダー)
- 小学校 (shougakkou): elementary school
- 中学校 (chuugakkou): middle school
- 高校 (koukou): high school
- 大学 (daigaku): college or university
- 専門学校 (senmon gakkou): vocational or technical school
- 予備校 (yobikou): preparatory school (also 塾 ‘juku’)
- 授業 (jugyou): class
- 学生 (gakusei): student
- クラスメート (kurasumeeto): classmate
- 校内 (kounai): campus, school grounds
- 教室 (kyoushitsu): classroom
- 廊下 (rouka): hallway
- 先生 (sensei): teacher
- 担当 (tantou): person in charge (ex: 担当の先生: teacher in charge)
- 教職員 (kyoushokuin): faculty or staff of a school (also 教員)
- 校長先生 (kouchou sensei): principle
- 教頭先生 (kyoutou sensei): vice principle
- 休園 (kyuuen): (kindergarten) closed
- 休校 (kyuukou): school closed
- 〜年生 (~nensei): student at a certain grade in school [ex: 二年生 (ninensei): second grade student]
- 学年 (gakunen): grade in school (referring to 一年生、二年生, etc.)
- 代講 (daikou): substitute teacher
- アシスタント (ashisutanto): assistant (teacher)
- (に) 落ちる (ochiru): to fail (a test, etc)
- (に) 受かる (ukaru): to pass (a test, etc)
- (を) 受ける (ukeru): to take (a test, etc.)
- 合格 (goukaku): pass (a test, etc.)
- 不合格 (fugoukaku): fail (a test, etc.)
- 卒業する (sotsugyou suru): to graduate
- 卒業生 (sotsugyousei): graduate, alumnus
- 卒業アルバム (sotsuyou arubamu): yearbook
- 試験 (shiken): test (also テスト)
- 学期 (gakki): school term or semester
- 中間 (chuukan): mid-term (ex: 中間テスト)
- 期末 (kimatsu): end of term (ex: 期末テスト)
- 見学する (kengaku suru): to observe (a class, etc.)
- 飛び級する (tobikyuu suru): to skip a grade
- 教科書 (kyoukasho): text book
- 机 (tsukue): desk
- 黒板 (kokuban): blackboard
- 鉛筆 (enpitsu): pencil
- 実習 (jisshuu): ‘real’ practice (actually doing something)
- 自習 (jishuu): self-study (time given by teachers for students to study on their own, like before a test)
- お休み (oyasumi): a day off or holiday (for work or school)
- 休日(kyuujitsu): holiday (New Years, etc.)
- 下駄箱 (getabako): shoe cupboard / rack
- 単位 (tan’i): (college) credit
- 科目 (kamoku): subject / course
- 必修科目 (hisshuu kamoku): required course
- 退学する (taigaku suru): leaving / getting kicked out of school
- 入学する (nyuugaku suru): entering school
- 給食 (kyuushoku): school lunch
- 理系 (rikei): science track, or a student in such a program
- 文系 (bunkei): humanities track, or a student in such a program
- クラブ (kurabu): a club (tennis, etc.)
- 部活 (bukatsu): participation in a club (short for クラブ活動)
- 稽古 (keiko): practice session for a club, like Karate (also お稽古)
- 教育 (kyouiku): education
- 教育制度 (kyouiku seido): educational system (also 教育システム)
- 教育委員会 (kyouiku iinkai): board of education
- 補習校 (hoshuukou): supplementary school (often weekends only)
- 勉強する (benkyou suru): to study
- 学ぶ (manabu): to learn
- 専攻 (senkou): specialty/major
- 運動場 (undoujou): playground/schoolyard
- 体育館 (taiikukan): gymnasium
- 食堂 (shokudou): cafeteria (also カフェテリア)
- 不登校 (futoukou): not attending school
- 成績表 (seisekihyou): report card (that contains grades)
- 文科省 (monkashou): Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) [short for 文部科学省]
- I was recently told this is something like a ‘board of education’ in the sense that it decides the educational standards for Japan, although this is just a subset of it’s duties. See more information here.
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