The school day, its ceremonies, clubs and tests, below university.
Practise this list
From these 40 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
A Japanese school has its own furniture and rituals, and several words here have no close English equivalent because the thing itself is missing from English-speaking schools: the indoor shoes, 上履き, put on at the shoe lockers, 下駄箱; the pupil on duty, 日直, who runs small parts of the day; and a ceremony to open and close every term. The school year starts in April. Clubs (部活) are led by a teacher, the 顧問, and fill most afternoons.
The words
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Noun (40)
日直pupil on duty for the dayNounN3
今日は日直なので、授業の後に黒板を消す。I am on duty today, so I clean the blackboard after lessons.
Pupils take it in turns.
学級class (as a group of pupils)NounN3
田中先生は、三年二組の学級担任だ。Mr Tanaka is the class teacher of year three, class two.
The formal word; in conversation クラス.
委員会committeeNounN3
図書委員会では、昼休みに本の貸し出しをしている。The library committee lends out books at lunchtime.
Each member is a 委員.
生徒会student councilNounN3
姉は高校で、生徒会の会長をしていた。My older sister was president of the student council at high school.
体育祭sports festival (at secondary school)NounN3
体育祭のリレーで、うちのクラスが一位になった。Our class came first in the relay at the sports festival.
A primary school usually calls it 運動会.
始業式ceremony at the start of termNounN3
始業式で、校長先生の話を聞いた。At the start-of-term ceremony we listened to the head teacher's talk.
終業式ceremony at the end of termNounN3
終業式が終わったら、いよいよ夏休みだ。Once the end-of-term ceremony is over, the summer holidays begin at last.
中間試験mid-term examNounN3
来週から中間試験なので、部活は休みだ。Mid-term exams start next week, so there is no club practice.
The exam at the end of term is 期末試験.
追試resit; make-up examNounN3
数学の点が悪くて、追試を受けることになった。My maths mark was so bad that I have to sit a resit.
補習extra lessons (for pupils who are behind)NounN3
成績が悪かった生徒は、夏休みに補習がある。Pupils with poor marks have extra lessons in the summer holidays.
進路path after leaving schoolNounN3
三年生になると、担任の先生と進路について話し合う。In your final year you talk through what to do after school with your class teacher.
Further study or a job — whatever comes next.
志望校the school one hopes to get intoNounN3
一年間必死に勉強して、志望校に合格した。I studied desperately hard for a year and got into the school I wanted.
同級生classmate; someone in the same yearNounN3
駅で偶然、中学の同級生に会った。I bumped into someone from my year at junior high at the station.
転校changing schoolsNounN3
父の仕事の都合で、小学校を三回転校した。Because of my father's job, I changed primary schools three times.
Also a verb: 転校する. The new pupil is the 転校生.
新入生new pupil; first-year pupilNounN3
四月になると、新入生が緊張した顔で学校に来る。In April the new pupils arrive at school looking nervous.
職員室staff roomNounN3
質問があったので、昼休みに職員室へ行った。I had a question, so I went to the staff room at lunchtime.
保健室school nurse's roomNounN3
体育の時間に気分が悪くなって、保健室で休んだ。I felt ill during PE and lay down in the nurse's room.
図書室school libraryNounN4
雨の日の昼休みは、たいてい図書室で過ごす。On rainy days I usually spend lunchtime in the school library.
A library room inside a school; a public library is 図書館.
校庭school grounds; playgroundNounN3
雨がやんだので、校庭でサッカーをした。The rain stopped, so we played football in the school grounds.
廊下corridorNounN4
廊下を走ると危ないので、歩きましょう。Running in the corridor is dangerous, so please walk.
下駄箱shoe lockers (at the entrance)NounN3
学校に着いたら、下駄箱で靴を履き替える。When I get to school, I change my shoes at the shoe lockers.
Literally a box for wooden clogs; the name has outlived them.
上履きindoor shoesNounN3
週末は上履きを家に持って帰って洗う。At the weekend I take my indoor shoes home and wash them.
チャイムschool bell; chimeNounN3
チャイムが鳴る前に、席に着いてください。Please be in your seats before the bell rings.
放課後after schoolNounN3
放課後は、毎日部活の練習がある。There is club practice every day after school.
登校going to schoolNounN3
台風のため、今日は登校しなくてもいいことになった。Because of the typhoon, we do not have to go to school today.
Also a verb: 登校する.
下校leaving school (to go home)NounN3
下校の時間になると、校門の前が生徒でいっぱいになる。At home time the area in front of the school gate fills with pupils.
Also a verb: 下校する.
自習study period (without a teacher); self-studyNounN3
先生が休みで、三時間目は自習になった。The teacher was off, so third period became a study period.
家庭科home economicsNounN3
家庭科の授業で、エプロンを作った。We made aprons in home economics.
教頭deputy head teacherNounN3
校長先生が休みだったので、教頭先生が代わりに挨拶をした。The head teacher was away, so the deputy head gave the speech instead.
Addressed and referred to with 先生.
部員club memberNounN3
うちのサッカー部には、部員が三十人いる。Our football club has thirty members.
顧問teacher in charge of a club; adviserNounN3
テニス部の顧問は、英語の先生だ。The teacher in charge of the tennis club is the English teacher.
入部joining a clubNounN3
高校に入ってすぐ、バスケット部に入部した。As soon as I started high school, I joined the basketball club.
Also a verb: 入部する.
筆箱pencil caseNounN4
筆箱を家に忘れて、友達に鉛筆を借りた。I left my pencil case at home and borrowed a pencil from a friend.
定規rulerNounN3
定規を使って、まっすぐな線を引きなさい。Use a ruler and draw a straight line.
満点full marksNounN3
漢字のテストで、初めて満点を取った。I got full marks in a kanji test for the first time.
平均点average markNounN3
今回のテストは難しくて、クラスの平均点が低かった。This test was hard, and the class average was low.
採点marking (of tests)NounN3
先生は週末に、テストの採点をするそうだ。Apparently the teacher marks the tests at the weekend.
Also a verb: 採点する.
正解correct answerNounN3
十問のうち、正解は七問だけだった。Of the ten questions, I got only seven right.
Also said aloud when someone guesses right: 正解！
席替えchanging seats (in class)NounN3
席替えで、仲のいい友達の隣になった。When we changed seats, I ended up next to a good friend.
一夜漬けcramming the night beforeNounN2
一夜漬けで覚えたことは、すぐに忘れてしまう。What you cram the night before you soon forget.
