予備校

• 読み: よびこう
• ローマ字: yobikō
• 漢字の分解: 予 (beforehand) + 備 (prepare) + 校 (school) → preparatory school
• 発音: /jo.bi.koː/

意味

A cram school specifically for university entrance exam preparation, attended by students (often 浪人) aiming for competitive universities.

予備校 are intensive prep schools focused almost exclusively on getting students into their target universities. Major chains like 駿台 (Sundai), 河合塾 (Kawaijuku), and 代々木ゼミナール (Yoyogi Seminar) are household names. Students attend either as 現役生 (current high schoolers supplementing school) or as 浪人生 (gap year students). The culture is intense, with long hours and competitive atmospheres.

例文

1. 浪人決まったから来月から予備校に通うよ。
2. 予備校の先生の授業のほうが学校より分かりやすい。
3. 予備校代だけで年間100万円以上かかるんだよね。

使い方ガイド

場面: education, family, casual conversation

トーン: neutral, informational

正しい言い方

• 予備校選びって結構大事だから、体験授業行ってみなよ。 (Choosing a cram school is pretty important, so try a trial class.)
• 予備校なしで東大受かるのはかなりすごいよ。 (Getting into Todai without cram school is seriously impressive.)

避ける言い方

• 「予備校に行かないと受からない」は言い過ぎ (Saying 'you can't pass without cram school' is discouraging and not always true)

よくある間違い

• Confusing 予備校 with 塾 — 予備校 specifically targets university entrance exams, while 塾 is broader and serves younger students too

起源と歴史

From 予備 (preparation/preliminary) + 校 (school). The institution type emerged in the early 20th century and became a massive industry during Japan's postwar education boom.

文化的背景

時代: Postwar era onwards, industry peak in 1990s

世代: All ages — a well-known institution

社会的背景: Middle to upper class (expensive tuition)

地域メモ: Used across all of Japan. Major chains are nationwide but most concentrated in urban areas.