学生
gakusei[ɡa̠kɯ̟̊se̞ː]
The Japanese word for student is 学生 (gakusei).
学生 (gakusei) refers to a person enrolled at a school, university or other educational institution.
Meaning: person enrolled at a school, university or other education institution (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the characters 学 (study) and 生 (life/person), literally meaning 'one who studies'.
Which one should you use?
While 学生 is a general term for a student, it is most commonly used to refer to university-level students. For elementary school students, the term 児童 (jidō) is often used in formal or administrative contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
gakusei
Did you know?
- In very formal contexts, an educator might refer to their students using 門下生 (monkasei), which literally means 'student under the gate', referencing a traditional master-disciple relationship.
- The pronunciation of 学生 uses two different historical styles of Chinese reading, known as 'go'on' and 'kan'on', mixed into one word.
- In Japan, 学生 is often used as a social category rather than just a description. It can imply a specific period of life with distinct social expectations and freedoms before entering the workforce.
Examples in context
- 大学生です。I am a university student.This sentence is useful for identifying oneself as a university student using 学生.Tatoeba #137609 by tommy_san, translation #275627 by CC
- 彼女は学生だ。She is a student.This sentence is useful for stating that a female is a student using 学生.Tatoeba #90696 by bunbuku, translation #313016 by CK
- 彼は学生です。He's a student.This sentence is useful for stating that a male is a student using 学生.Tatoeba #108833 by bunbuku, translation #5901913 by OsoHombre
- 188 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two people meet for the first time at a party.
- 陽葵 Himari今は学生ですか？Ima wa gakusei desu ka?Are you a student now?
- 蓮 Renはい、大学生です。Hai, daigakusei desu.Yes, I am a university student.
- 陽葵 Himariそうなんですね。何を勉強していますか？Sō nan desu ne. Nani o benkyō shite imasu ka?I see. What are you studying?
- 蓮 Ren経済を勉強しています。Keizai o benkyō shite imasu.I am studying economics.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “student” translations and entries 学生, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 学生, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
