保育園
hoikuen[ho̞ikɯ̟ẽ̞ɴ]
The English phrase 'preschool' can be translated into Japanese as 保育園 (hoikuen).
保育園 refers to facilities that provide care for children during the day, including preschool-aged children.
Meaning: relating to years before primary school (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 保育園 is composed of 保育, meaning 'childcare' and 園, meaning 'garden' or 'institution'.
Which one should you use?
While 保育園 refers to a nursery school or daycare center focused on childcare, 幼稚園 refers specifically to a kindergarten focused on early education.
How do you pronounce it?
hoikuen
Did you know?
- Many 保育園 have long waiting lists, leading to a social phenomenon known as 待機児童, or 'waiting children', which is a major political issue in Japan.
- While 保育園 is for childcare, children who attend 幼稚園 (kindergarten) often wear distinct uniforms, including small hats and bags, to identify their school and class.
- It is common for teachers at a 保育園 to use a specific, high-pitched and rhythmic style of speaking called 保育語 to communicate with toddlers.
Examples in context
- Watashi no ko wa yōchien ni ikitai desu. (私の子は幼稚園に行きたいです)My child wants to go to preschool.
- 保育園の子供たちは元気です。Hoikuen no kodomo tachi wa genki desu.The preschool children are energetic.
- 保育園の先生は優しいです。Hoikuen no sensei wa yasashii desu.The preschool teacher is kind.
- 保育園に通っています。Hoikuen ni kayotte imasu.I am attending a preschool.
Example conversation
Two neighbors are talking about their children's daily routines.
- 蓮 Ren陽葵さんは、子供は保育園に通っていますか？Himari-san wa, kodomo wa hoikuen ni kayotte imasu ka?Himari, does your child go to preschool?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、近くの保育園に通っています。Hai, chikaku no hoikuen ni kayotte imasu.Yes, she goes to a nearby preschool.
- 蓮 Renそれはよかったですね。Sore wa yokatta desu ne.That's good to hear.
- 陽葵 Himariはい、とても楽しそうにしています。Hai, totemo tanoshisou ni shite imasu.Yes, she seems to be having a lot of fun.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 保育園, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
