科学
kagaku[ka̠ɡa̠kɯ̟]
The English word 'science' is translated into Japanese as 科学 (kagaku). Wiktionary also lists サイエンス (saiensu).
Meaning: collective discipline of learning acquired through the scientific method (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 科学 | kagaku | [ka̠ɡa̠kɯ̟] (narrow) [ɕina̠ɡa̠kɯ̟] (narrow) |
| サイエンス | saiensu | [sa̠iẽ̞ɰ̃sɨ] (narrow) |
The term refers to the collective discipline of learning acquired through the scientific method.
Which one should you use?
科学 (kagaku) is used when referring to science as an academic discipline or a field of study. In contrast, サイエンス (saiensu) is a loanword from English often used in pop culture, magazine titles or to provide a more modern or Western nuance to the concept.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can turn the noun 科学 into the adjective 'scientific' by adding the suffix 的 to create 科学的 (kagakuteki).
How do you pronounce it?
kagaku
Did you know?
- While 'science' can be read as shinagaku, the word for 'chemistry' is often read as bakegaku to keep the two words distinct in conversation.
- The word 科学 is a homophone for the word for 'chemistry', which is also pronounced kagaku.
- The kanji 学 in 科学 is a common building block for almost every academic field in Japanese, such as psychology or sociology.
Examples in context
- 吾輩は科学の猫である。I'm a cat of science.This sentence uses 科学 to describe a cat belonging to the field of science.Tatoeba #9482869 by small_snow, translation #9031202 by shekitten
- 科学は好きではありません。I do not like science.This sentence expresses a lack of liking for 科学.Tatoeba #186871 by small_snow, translation #24007 by CC
- 物理科学を研究しています。We're studying physical science.This sentence describes the study of physical 科学.Tatoeba #11332061 by small_snow, translation #2820933 by sharptoothed
- 科学の重要性は非常に高く評価されています。The importance of science is highly valued.
- 生物学は理科学の一部です。Biology is a part of natural science.
- このイベントでは、子供たちが楽しく科学技術に触れます。In this event, children will have fun experiencing science and technology.
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yota and Misaki are discussing their favorite school subjects.
- 陽太 Yota美咲は、学校で何が一番好き？Misaki wa, gakkou de nani ga ichiban suki?Misaki, what do you like most at school?
- 美咲 Misaki私は科学が一番面白いと思います。Watashi wa kagaku ga ichiban omoshiroi to omoimasu.I think science is the most interesting.
- 陽太 Yotaすごいね。僕は科学が苦手なんだ。Sugoi ne. Boku wa kagaku ga nigate nanda.That's impressive. I'm not very good at science.
- 美咲 Misaki陽太、私が教えてあげるよ。Yota, watashi ga oshiete ageru yo.Yota, I will teach you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “science” translations and entries 科学, サイエンス, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries サイエンス, 科学, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
