科目

• Reading: かもく
• Romaji: kamoku
• Kanji breakdown: 科 (ka) — branch, department; 目 (moku) — item, eye
• Pronunciation: /ka.mo.kɯ/

Meaning

School subject; curriculum course. A specific area of study within an educational program.

A noun used primarily in educational contexts to refer to individual subjects in a school curriculum. Different from 教科 (kyouka), which is more general. 科目 often appears in course registration, report cards, and academic discussions. Also used in accounting to mean 'account item.'

Examples

1. 好きな科目は数学と理科です。 My favorite subjects are math and science.
2. 来学期の科目をもう選びましたか。 Have you already chosen your courses for next semester?
3. この大学では必修科目が多い。 This university has a lot of required courses.

Usage Guide

Context: school, university, education

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Composed of 科 (branch of study, department) and 目 (item, category). Together they denote a categorized branch of academic study.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Students and educators

Social background: Universal