留年

• 読み: りゅうねん
• ローマ字: ryūnen
• 漢字の分解: 留 (stay/remain) + 年 (year) → remaining in the same year
• 発音: /ɾʲɯː.neɴ/

意味

Being held back a year in school; repeating a grade or academic year due to insufficient grades or credits.

留年 is a dreaded outcome in Japanese education. In universities, it means failing to earn enough credits to advance to the next year, often resulting from poor attendance, failed courses, or excessive part-time work. It carries significant stigma because graduating 'on time' (ストレート卒業) is expected, and being held back can affect job hunting since companies expect a standard graduation timeline.

例文

1. 単位足りなくて留年確定した、親にどう言おう。
2. 留年したら就活に響くから、今学期はマジで頑張る。
3. サークルに夢中になりすぎて留年した先輩がいる。

使い方ガイド

場面: school, university, family

トーン: serious, worried

正しい言い方

• 留年だけは絶対に避けたい。 (I absolutely want to avoid being held back.)
• 留年しても人生終わりじゃないから、気にしすぎないで。 (Being held back isn't the end of the world, so don't stress too much.)

避ける言い方

• 人の留年をネタにするのは失礼 (Making jokes about someone else's grade retention is insensitive — it's a serious source of stress)

よくある間違い

• Confusing 留年 with 浪人 — 留年 is being held back within school, while 浪人 is taking a gap year before entering university

起源と歴史

From 留 (to stay/remain) + 年 (year). A formal academic term that has been in use since the modern Japanese education system was established. While technically neutral, it carries strong negative connotations in practice.

文化的背景

時代: Modern education system, always relevant

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal

地域メモ: Used across all of Japan. The stigma is particularly strong in the context of 就活 (job hunting) where a non-standard graduation timeline raises questions.