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  みなさん、こんにちは！If you want to go to school in Japan, there are some things you should know. The school year in Japan starts in April and classes are from Monday to Friday/Saturday depending on the school and the school year is broken up into three terms. They get a spring break (end of first term), a winter break (end of second term) and a summer break which is the end of the third term and it last a little over a month. Some universities have a semester system( 2 term school year) like the U.S.
  
  Elementary and junior high school are mandatory, but High school is optional for students in Japan. Private and public high schools must be paid for out-of-pocket with private schools costing twice as much as public schools. Middle and High school students study hard for the entrance exam that allows them to enter the best high school or college. Most students attend a “special school/tokubetsu shien gakkou” after regular school to help them score higher on the exams.

  Now that you know a little about the Japanese School System, let’s get into some vocab focusing on school!

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生徒・せいと
Seito -high school student

先輩・せんぱい
Senpai -upperclassmen
Note: sometimes you will see “senpai” spelled as “sempai”, because it makes the sound of a “M” when said.

後輩・こうはい
Kouhai- under classmen

制服・せいふく
Seifuku -uniform

セーラー 服・セーラーふく
seeraa  fuku -Sailor outfit（japanese girls uniform）

学ラン・がくラン
Gakuran -boys Japanese school uniform
Note: sometimes gakuran is showed as “学蘭” , but still pronounced as gakuran.

詰襟・つめ えり
Tsume eri -boys Japanese uniform

上履き・うわばき
Uwabaki -Japanese school Shoes

学校・がっこう
Gakkou -school
Note: school also has a katakana spelling “sukuuru/スクール”

幼稚園・ようちえん
Youchien -Kindergarten

小学校・しょうがっこう
Shougakkou
Elementary 1-6

中学校・ちゅうがっこう
Chuugakkou
Lower Secondary School/Junior High School  7-9

高校・こうこう
Koukou
Upper Secondary School/High school 10-12
Note: koukou is actually an abbreviation/short for “高等学校/こうとうがっこう・koutougakkou” which means High School.

特別支援学校・とくべつ しえん がっこう
Tokubetsu shien gakkou -Special school
Note: This is a school students go to after regular school/classes to help give them a better chance of getting high test scores on the entrance exams for High school and college.

光線・こうせん
Kousen
College of Technology
(Students can enter into “kousen” after leaving “chugakkou/middle school”)

大学・だいがく
Daigaku -University (undergraduate school)

学生・がくせい
Gakusei -undergraduate student

大学院・だいがくいん
Daigakuin -University (graduate school)

大学院生・だいがくいんせい
Daigakuinsei -graduate student

短期大学・たんきだいがく
Tanki daigaku -Community College

入学試験・にゅうがく しけん
Nyuugaku shiken -Entrance examinations

浪人・ろうにん
Rounin – is a student who has graduated from middle or high school, but has failed to enter a school at the next level and studies outside the school system for entrance in a future year.

春休み・はるやすみ
Haruyasumi -Spring break

冬休み・ふゆやすみ
Fuyuyasumi -Winter break

夏休み・なつやすみ
Natsuyasumi -Summer break

休校・きゅうこう
Kyuukou -school holiday; break from school
Note: literally means closed/closing school temporarily.

地図・ちず
Chizu -map

机・つくえ
Tsukue -desk
Note: Desk also spelled using katakana “デスク/desuku”

ペン
Pen -pen

紙・かみ
Kami -paper
Note: kami also means 髪/かみ/hair

鉛筆・えんぴつ
Enpitsu -pencil

鞄・かばん
Kaban -bag (bookbag, briefcase,satchel etc.)
Note: You can also say bookbag as “ブックバッグ/bukkubaggu”

教室・きょうしつ
Kyoushitsu -classroom

黒板・こくばん
Kokuban -chalkboard/blackboard

ノート
nooto -Notebook

専攻・せんこう
Sen-kou -(academic) major

寮・りょう
Ryou -dormitory

校長・こうちょう
Kouchou -head master

図書館・としょかん
Toshokan -library
Note: library also has a katakana spelling “raiburari/ライブラリ

教授・きょうじゅ
Kyouju -professor
Note: professor also has a katakana spelling “purofissaa/プロフィッサー”

登校する・とうこう する
Toukou suru -to go to school

卒業する・そつぎょう する
Sotsugyou suru -to graduate

留年する・りゅうねん
Ryuunen suru -to stay behind a year/to repeat a year

本・ほん
Hon -book

本屋
Hon’ya -bookstore

正解・せいかい
Seikai -right (answer)
Note: this would be said to a student who answered a question right.

正しい・ただしい
Tadashii -correct

辞書・じしょ
Jisho -dictionary

不正解・ふせいかい
Fuseikai -incorrect （answer）
Note: This might be said to a student who got a question wrong.

違う・ちがう
chigau -different/to be wrong (verb)
In Japan people don’t say “you are wrong” or “that is wrong”. Instead they say “ちがいます/chigaimasu” meaning its a different answer.

レッスン
Ressun -lesson

教師・きょうし
Kyoushi -teacher

先生・せんせい
Sensei -teacher

読む・よむ
Yomu -to read (verb)

勉強する・べんきょうする
Benkyou suru -to study

書く・かく
Kaku -to write (verb)

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ありがとうございます！
Arigatougozaimasu!