浪人
Significado: A student spending a gap year studying to retake university entrance exams after failing to get into their desired school.
In modern Japanese education, 浪人 refers to students who didn't pass their target university's entrance exam and spend one or more years at a 予備校 (cram school) preparing to retake it. The term borrows from the historical samurai who lost their master (浪人/牢人). Being a 一浪 (one year) is relatively common and socially accepted, but 二浪 or 三浪 (two or three years) raises eyebrows.
Ejemplos
- 第一志望に落ちたから一浪することにした。 没考上第一志愿,决定复读一年。Como no aprobé mi primera opción, he decidido tomarme un año para prepararme de nuevo.제1지망에 떨어져서 재수하기로 했어.
- 浪人時代が人生で一番つらかったけど、成長した。 复读那段时间是我人生中最痛苦的,但也成长了很多。El año como rōnin fue el más duro de mi vida, pero crecí mucho.재수 시절이 인생에서 제일 힘들었지만 성장했어.
- 浪人してでも早稲田に入りたいって思ってた。 当时想着就算复读也要考进早稻田。Estaba decidido a entrar en Waseda aunque tuviera que ser como rōnin.재수해서라도 와세다에 들어가고 싶다고 생각했어.
Pronunciación
/ɾoː.niɴ/
Guía de uso
Contexto: education, family, casual conversation
Tono: matter-of-fact, sometimes sympathetic
✓ Correcto
- 一浪くらい普通だから、気にしなくていいよ。 (One gap year is totally normal, don't worry about it.)复读一年很正常的,不用太在意。(复读一年完全正常,别担心。)Tomarse un año para prepararse es totalmente normal, no te preocupes.1재수 정도는 흔하니까 신경 쓰지 않아도 돼.
- 浪人して医学部に受かった人、結構いるよ。 (Plenty of people get into med school after a gap year.)复读后考进医学院的人还挺多的。(很多人复读后成功考进了医学院。)Bastante gente ha entrado en Medicina después de un año de preparación.재수해서 의대에 붙은 사람 꽤 있어.
✗ Incorrecto
- 「まだ浪人してるの?」はプレッシャーになる (Asking 'are you still a rōnin?' adds unnecessary pressure)'你还在复读吗?'会给人很大的压力(问别人'还在复读吗?'会造成不必要的压力)Preguntar «¿todavía sigues preparándote?» añade una presión innecesaria.「아직 재수 중이야?」라는 질문은 부담을 준다
Errores comunes
- Thinking 浪人 means a failure — many successful professionals in Japan took a gap year, and it's quite normalized for competitive universities
Origen e historia
Originally referred to masterless samurai in feudal Japan. The term was repurposed in the modern era to describe students between high school and university. The metaphor of being 'adrift' without a school to belong to is apt.
Contexto cultural
Era: Modern education system, concept since Meiji era
Generation: All ages — culturally understood across generations
Social background: Common among middle and upper-middle class families aiming for top universities
Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. Particularly common in discussions about Tokyo's top universities (東大, 早稲田, 慶應).
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