大学生
daigakusei[da̠iɡa̠kɯ̟̊se̞ː]
The Japanese phrase for "college student" is 大学生 (daigakusei).
大学生 refers to a person who is studying at a university or college to earn a degree.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use the noun as a modifier for another noun, such as "college student friend", you must add the particle の (no) to form 大学生の followed by the other noun.
How do you pronounce it?
daigakusei
Did you know?
- The character 生 in 大学生 shares a root with the word for 'life' and 'birth'. This reflects a linguistic pattern where students are viewed as being in a state of growth or becoming.
- Japanese university students often use the term サークル ('circle') to describe their clubs. Unlike English 'circles', these are loosely organized social groups that are a central part of the 大学生 experience.
- The word 大学 (daigaku) literally translates to 'big learning', combining the characters for 'big' and 'study'.
Examples in context
- 大学生です。I'm a college student.This sentence is useful for stating that you are a 大学生.Tatoeba #137609 by tommy_san, translation #568944 by CM
- 大学生ですか。Are you a college student?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is a 大学生.Tatoeba #137607 by bunbuku, translation #275628 by CK
- 大学生だよね？You're a college student, aren't you?This sentence is useful for confirming that someone is a 大学生.Tatoeba #7841572 by Ninja, translation #7841134 by CK
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their friend's occupation at a cafe.
- 健太 Kenta彼は大学生なの？Kare wa daigakusei nano?Is he a college student?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、大学生だよ。Un, daigakusei da yo.Yes, he is a college student.
- 健太 Kenta勉強は大変そうだね。Benkyou wa taihen sou da ne.Studying seems tough for him.
- 結衣 Yui毎日忙しそうだよ。Mainichi isogashisou da yo.He seems busy every day.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 大学生, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 大学生, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
