休講
Meaning: A cancelled class or lecture — one of the most celebrated words in a university student's vocabulary.
休講 is the official term for when a professor cancels a scheduled lecture. Reasons include illness, academic conferences, typhoons, or transportation disruptions. For students, a 休講 notification is a cause for celebration — especially for early morning classes. Universities typically post 休講 information on bulletin boards or portal sites. While officially regrettable, students often secretly hope for 休講, especially during exam preparation periods when self-study time is precious.
Examples
- 来週の月曜、先生が学会で休講だって。ラッキー! 下周一老师要去参加学术会议,停课了。太幸运了!El lunes que viene el profesor tiene un congreso y se cancela la clase. ¡Qué suerte!다음 주 월요일, 교수님이 학회라서 휴강이래. 럭키!
- 休講の連絡が遅すぎて大学着いてから知ったんだけど。 停课通知发得太晚了,都到学校了才知道。Avisaron demasiado tarde de la cancelación y me enteré cuando ya había llegado a la uni.휴강 공지가 너무 늦어서 학교 도착하고 나서야 알았어.
- 今日3限休講になったから空きコマ3連続だわ。 今天第三节课停了,现在有三个连续的空闲时段。Hoy se ha cancelado la tercera hora, así que tengo tres huecos libres seguidos.오늘 3교시 휴강이라서 공강이 3연속이야.
Pronunciation
/kjɯː.koː/
Usage Guide
Context: university, academic, friends
Tone: neutral to excited
✓ Do Say
- 明日の2限、休講だってよ。 (Apparently second period is cancelled tomorrow.)听说明天第二节课停课了。(据说明天的第二节课取消了。)Por lo visto mañana se cancela la segunda hora. (Apparently second period is cancelled tomorrow.)내일 2교시 휴강이래. (내일 2교시가 휴강이라더라.)
- 台風で全部休講にならないかな。 (I wonder if all classes will be cancelled because of the typhoon.)台风来了会不会全部停课啊。(不知道会不会因为台风全部停课。)¿Se cancelarán todas las clases por el tifón? (I wonder if all classes will be cancelled because of the typhoon.)태풍 때문에 전부 휴강 안 되나. (태풍으로 수업이 다 휴강되면 좋겠다.)
✗ Don't Say
- 教授に「もっと休講にしてください」は言えない (You can't ask a professor to cancel more classes)没办法跟教授说'请多停几次课吧'No puedes pedirle a un profesor que cancele más clases (No se le puede pedir a un profesor que cancele más clases)교수님한테 '더 자주 휴강해 주세요'라고 말할 수 없다 (교수에게 더 많이 쉬라고 부탁하는 건 할 수 없는 말이다)
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 休講 with 欠席 — 休講 is when the professor cancels the class; 欠席 is when a student is absent
Origin & History
Standard academic Japanese compound from 休 (rest/suspend) + 講 (lecture). Has been in use since the establishment of the modern Japanese university system in the Meiji era.
Cultural Context
Era: Meiji era onward, a constant of Japanese university culture
Generation: All ages (universally understood)
Social background: Universal in academic contexts
Regional notes: Used at all Japanese universities. The notification system varies — some use apps, others use physical bulletin boards.
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