Translation guide
In Japan, kindergarten (幼稚園) is a non-compulsory educational institution for children aged 3–6, distinct from daycare (保育園). This guide covers how to refer to kindergarten as a place, a stage of education, and related activities.
kindergarten (place)
Standard term for kindergarten as a school.
kindergarten (daycare)
Use only for daycare/nursery school, not formal kindergarten.
Referring to the school itself, as a place or organization.
Standard term for kindergarten as an educational institution under the Japanese school system. Often abbreviated as 幼稚園.
My daughter will enter kindergarten next year.
Refers to daycare or nursery school, which is not the same as kindergarten. Use only if the context is daycare rather than formal pre-elementary education.
Talking about the activity of being a kindergartener or the daily routine.
Referring to the period of early childhood education before elementary school.
Referring to the person who teaches at a kindergarten.
幼稚園 (yōchien) is an educational institution for children aged 3–6, following the School Education Law. 保育園 (hoikuen) is a daycare facility for children from infancy to age 5, under the Child Welfare Law. In casual conversation, people may mix them up, but they are legally distinct.
My daughter started kindergarten this April.
Japanese school year starts in April.
Is there a kindergarten near here?
保育園 is a daycare facility, not a school. Do not use it for kindergarten unless the distinction is irrelevant in context.
I leave my child at daycare because I have work.
Sometimes written in katakana as キンダーガーテン, but this is rare and mostly used in names of international schools or in a stylistic way.
I attend an international kindergarten.
My son goes to kindergarten every day.
Literally 'go to kindergarten', used for the daily action.
Tomorrow is a kindergarten day.
Used to denote the stage of education, e.g., 'kindergarten year'.
I started piano when I was in kindergarten.
A child who attends kindergarten; a kindergartener.
This is an event for kindergarteners.
I want to become a kindergarten teacher.
Specifically a childcare worker or nursery teacher, often used for daycare staff but can overlap with kindergarten if the facility is a 保育園.
I'm studying to get a childcare worker qualification.
Kindergarten is an educational institution, while daycare is a welfare facility.
The katakana word キンダーガーテン is not commonly used in Japanese. Stick to 幼稚園 unless referring to a specific international school with that name.
Normally we don't say 'kindergarten' in katakana; we say 'yōchien'.
I volunteer at the kindergarten once a week.