学校

• Reading: がっこう
• Romaji: gakkou
• Kanji breakdown: 学 (gaku/mana) — learning, study; 校 (kou) — school, institution
• Pronunciation: /ɡak.koː/

Meaning

School. The general term for any educational institution from elementary to high school.

A noun used broadly to refer to schools at all levels. In Japan, the school system consists of elementary school (小学校, 6 years), middle school (中学校, 3 years), and high school (高校, 3 years). Often appears in compound words like 小学校 and 中学校.

Examples

1. 毎日学校に行きます。 I go to school every day.
2. 学校は八時半に始まります。 School starts at eight thirty.
3. 私の学校は駅の近くにあります。 My school is near the station.

Usage Guide

Context: education, daily life, commuting

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 学 (learning, study) and 校 (school, institution). Both kanji were adopted from Chinese, where the term referred to places of formal education.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal