寄宿学校
kishuku gakkō
The English phrase "boarding school" is translated into Japanese as 寄宿学校 (kishuku gakkō). Wiktionary also lists ボーディングスクール (bōdingu sukūru).
Meaning: school which provides board and lodging (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 寄宿学校 | kishuku gakkō | |
| ボーディングスクール | bōdingu sukūru | [bo̞ːdʲĩŋɡɯ̟ sɨ̥kɯ̟ːɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
The term refers to a school that provides both board and lodging for its students.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 寄宿学校 (kishuku gakkō) is composed of 寄宿 (kishuku), meaning "lodging" or "staying at" and 学校 (gakkō), meaning "school".
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe the experience of living at a boarding school, Japanese speakers often use the phrase 寮生活 (ryō seikatsu), which means "dormitory life".
How do you pronounce it?
kishuku gakkō
Did you know?
- In older Japanese contexts, 寄宿 was often associated with 'lodging' in temples, reflecting a history where religious institutions provided the primary form of boarding for students.
- The term 寮生活 (ryō seikatsu) is used not only for students but also for 'company dormitories', where new employees are sometimes required to live together to build corporate loyalty.
- In Japanese pop culture, especially in anime and manga, 寮生活 (ryō seikatsu) is often romanticized as a space of freedom and secrecy away from parental supervision, regardless of the school's actual strictness.
Examples in context
- 私は寄宿学校に通っています。I attend a boarding school.
- 私たちは寄宿舎生活を楽しんでいます。We are enjoying life in the boarding school.
- 寄宿学校では一日のスケジュールが厳しく決まっています。At the boarding school, the daily schedule is strictly determined.
- あの学生は寄宿学校の生活に慣れてきたようです。That student seems to have gotten used to the boarding school life.
- 彼は寄宿学校に通っています。Kare wa kishukugakkou ni kayotte imasu.He attends a boarding school.
- この寄宿学校はとても古いです。Kono kishukugakkou wa totemo furui desu.This boarding school is very old.
- 寄宿学校の生活に慣れましたか？Kishukugakkou no seikatsu ni naremashita ka?Have you gotten used to boarding school life?
Example conversation
Yui and Ren are talking about their future education.
- 結衣 Yui蓮は寄宿学校に行きたいと思っているの？Ren wa kishuku gakkou ni ikitai to omotte iru no?Ren, are you thinking about going to a boarding school?
- 蓮 Renうん、自立した生活をしてみたいんだ。Un, jiritsu shita seikatsu o shite mitai nda.Yes, I want to try living independently.
- 結衣 Yui家族と離れるのは寂しくない？Kazoku to hanareru no wa sabishiku nai?Won't you be lonely being away from your family?
- 蓮 Ren少し不安だけど、挑戦したいよ。Sukoshi fuan dakedo, chousen shitai yo.I'm a bit anxious, but I want to take the challenge.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boarding school” translations and entries 寄宿学校, ボーディングスクール, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
