授業料
jugyōryō[d͡ʑɨɡʲo̞ːɾʲo̞ː]
The Japanese word for tuition is 授業料 (jugyōryō) or 学費.
Meaning: sum of money paid for instruction (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 授業料 | jugyōryō | [d͡ʑɨɡʲo̞ːɾʲo̞ː] (narrow) |
| 学費 | gakuhi | [ɡa̠kɯ̟çi] (narrow) |
Use 授業料 when referring specifically to the fee for instruction and 学費 when referring to the broader costs of schooling.
What does it mean word for word?
授業料 is a combination of 授業 (lesson or class) and 料 (fee or charge), literally meaning "lesson fee". 学費 is composed of 学 (study) and 費 (expense or cost), literally meaning "study expenses".
Which one should you use?
授業料 specifically refers to the fee paid for classes or instruction itself. In contrast, 学費 is a broader term that can encompass not only tuition but also other school-related expenses such as books and supplies.
How do you pronounce it?
jugyōryō
Did you know?
- In Japan, many students use 奨学金 (scholarship) to refer to student loans, because the term is used for both grants and loans that must be repaid.
- The kanji 料 in 授業料 also appears in 料金 (charge) and 材料 (materials), showing that Japanese categorizes 'fees' and 'ingredients' as the same kind of 'material' or 'cost'.
- In the context of university, 入学金 (entrance fee) is a separate, one-time payment that is often discussed alongside 授業料, even though it is not technically 'tuition'.
Examples in context
- 俺の大学の授業料は高すぎる。My college tuition is too expensive.This sentence is useful for expressing that college tuition is too expensive using 授業料.Tatoeba #8813303 by small_snow, translation #620108 by ulyssemc1
- 学費の半分は父に頼むつもりです。I'll rely on my father for half of my tuition.This sentence is useful for discussing relying on a parent for half of one's tuition using 学費.Tatoeba #184189 by bunbuku, translation #21317 by CK
- 学校は授業料の値上げを発表した。They announced an increase in tuition fees.This sentence is useful for noting an announcement about an increase in tuition fees using 授業料.Tatoeba #184389 by bunbuku, translation #21517 by CK
- 私の大学の授業料は年間50万円です。The tuition fee for my university is 500,000 yen per year.
- 来年の学費の値上げが発表されました。The increase in tuition fees for next year has been announced.
- あの大学の授業料、けっこう高いみたいだよ。The tuition fee at that university seems quite high, you know.
- この塾の学費は結構安いよ。The tuition fees at this cram school are quite affordable.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Ren are discussing their university expenses.
- 結衣 Yui授業料の支払期限はいつまでかな？Jugyōryō no shiharai kigen wa itsu made kana?I wonder when the tuition payment deadline is?
- 蓮 Renたしか来週の金曜日までだよ。Tashika raishū no kin'yōbi made dayo.I believe it's until next Friday.
- 結衣 Yui危ない！すぐに払わないと。Abunai! Sugu ni harawanai to.Oh no! I have to pay it right away.
- 蓮 Ren結衣、忘れないうちに手続きしてね。Yui, wasurenai uchi ni tetsuzuki shite ne.Yui, make sure to do the paperwork before you forget.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tuition” translations and entries 授業料, 学費, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
