Translation guide
The act of leaving school, a course, or an activity before completion. In Japanese, the most common and natural expression is 退学する (taigaku suru) for formal withdrawal from school, while 中退する (chuutai suru) is used for dropping out partway through. For quitting clubs or activities, やめる (yameru) is standard.
To express that someone quits school or university without completing the program.
Formal term for leaving school, often used for expulsion or voluntary withdrawal. Can be used for any level of education.
彼は高校を退学した。
He dropped out of high school.
Submit a withdrawal notice.
Specifically means dropping out partway through a course or program. Very common for university dropouts.
大学を中退して起業した。
He dropped out of university and started a business.
彼女は専門学校を中退した。
She dropped out of vocational school.
Casual and common way to say 'quit school'. Can imply dropping out, but also just leaving a particular school.
高校をやめて働き始めた。
I dropped out of high school and started working.
Loanword from English, used in casual or trendy contexts, often for dropping out of society or a system, not just school.
彼は社会からドロップアウトした。
He dropped out of society.
To express that someone stops participating in a non-school activity, such as a club, class, or program.
General verb for quitting something. Use with the object marked by を.
サークルをやめた。
I dropped out of the club.
習い事をやめることにした。
I decided to drop out of my lessons.
Emphasizes quitting midway. Useful when you want to stress that you didn't finish.
講座を途中でやめてしまった。
I ended up dropping out of the course halfway.
Loanword meaning 'retire', but can be used for dropping out of a competition or long-term project.
マラソンを途中でリタイアした。
I dropped out of the marathon halfway.
To express that someone disengages from mainstream society, often voluntarily.
Literally 'fall out of society', used for people who become recluses or fail to keep up with social norms.
彼は社会から脱落して引きこもりになった。
He dropped out of society and became a shut-in.
Same as above, but more casual and modern.
競争社会からドロップアウトしたい。
I want to drop out of the rat race.
退学 (taigaku) is a formal term for leaving school, which can be voluntary or forced (expulsion). 中退 (chuutai) specifically means dropping out before completion, and is the most common word for university dropouts. Use 中退 when you want to emphasize that the person left partway through.
The English phrase 'drop out' cannot be directly translated word-for-word. Avoid expressions like 落ちる (ochiru) or 出る (deru) for this meaning, as they sound unnatural.