補講

• Reading: ほこう
• Romaji: hokō
• Kanji breakdown: 補 (supplement/compensate) + 講 (lecture) → supplementary lecture / make-up class
• Pronunciation: /ho.koː/

Meaning

A make-up class held to compensate for a cancelled lecture — the dreaded price of 休講.

補講 is a supplementary class scheduled to make up for lectures lost to cancellations, holidays, or other disruptions. It is the bittersweet follow-up to 休講 — the initial joy of a cancelled class eventually comes back as a 補講, often scheduled at inconvenient times like Saturday mornings or during exam preparation periods. Attendance at 補講 is usually mandatory and counts toward the class participation grade, making it difficult to skip.

Examples

1. 台風で休講になった分の補講が土曜に入った。最悪。 The make-up class for the typhoon cancellation got scheduled on Saturday. The worst.
2. 補講の日程がテスト前の忙しい時期にぶつかって詰んだ。 The make-up class landed right during the busy pre-exam period — I'm screwed.
3. 補講出ないと出席足りなくなるから行くしかない。 If I don't go to the make-up class, I won't have enough attendance, so I have no choice.

Usage Guide

Context: university, academic, friends

Tone: resigned, complaining

Do Say

• 補講いつあるか確認した？ (Did you check when the make-up class is?)
• 補講が土曜とかやめてほしい。 (I wish they wouldn't schedule make-up classes on Saturday.)

Don't Say

• 「補講なくせばいいのに」は教授への暴言 (Saying 'they should just skip the make-up class' is disrespectful to the professor)

Common Mistakes

• Thinking 補講 is optional — in most cases attendance is mandatory and counts toward your grade, unlike regular 休講 which frees up your time

Origin & History

Standard academic term from 補 (supplement/compensate) + 講 (lecture). Part of the formal university vocabulary system alongside 休講 (cancellation) and 追試 (make-up exam).

Cultural Context

Era: Modern university system, ongoing

Generation: University students (term understood by all ages)

Social background: Universal in academic contexts

Regional notes: Used at all Japanese universities. The scheduling of 補講 often becomes a point of frustration among students.