Skip to content
Kotomora

学

study, learning, science

JLPTN5StatusJōyō · grade 1FrequencyTop 100Strokes8

Readings

On'yomi

  • ガク

Kun'yomi

  • まな.ぶ

Nanori

  • たか
  • のり

Meaning

学 centers on the process of gaining knowledge: studying, learning, and the organized fields of science that result from that pursuit.

Most common words using 学

24 of 4,173
  • 学校がっこう
    N5

    school

  • 大学だいがく
    N5

    university; college

  • 学生がくせい
    N5

    student (esp. a university student)

  • 科学かがく
    N4

    science

  • 学がく
    N3

    learning; scholarship; study; erudition; knowledge; education

  • 学ぶまなぶ
    N3

    to learn; to study; to take lessons in

  • 学園がくえん
    N1

    educational institution; school; academy; campus

  • 小学校しょうがっこう
    N5

    primary school; elementary school; grade school

  • 小学生しょうがくせい
    N2

    elementary school student; primary school student; grade school student

  • 学習がくしゅう
    N3

    learning; study

  • 学者がくしゃ
    N3

    scholar; academic; scientist

  • 中学ちゅうがく
    N3

    junior high school; middle school; lower secondary school

  • 中学生ちゅうがくせい
    N1

    junior high school student; middle school pupil

  • 化学かがく
    N3

    chemistry

  • 入学にゅうがく
    N4

    admission (to a school or university); entrance; enrolment; enrollment; matriculation

  • 数学すうがく
    N4

    mathematics

  • 大学生だいがくせい
    N4

    university student; college student

  • 医学いがく
    N4

    medicine; medical science

  • 哲学てつがく
    N3

    philosophy

  • 学会がっかい
    N2

    learned society; scientific society; academy; academic meeting; academic conference

  • 留学りゅうがく
    N4

    studying abroad

  • 中学校ちゅうがっこう
    N5

    junior high school; middle school; lower secondary school

  • 文学ぶんがく
    N4

    literature

  • 学部がくぶ
    N3

    faculty (of a university); school; college; department

Explore all words using 学 →

Study

Etymology

学 is the modern simplified form of 學. The older form depicts two hands (臼) passing down knowledge (爻) under a roof (宀) to a child (子), representing teaching and learning.

Meaning mnemonic

The top ⺌ and 冖 look like a simplified school building, and 子 is a child. Picture a child under a school roof, studying and learning.

Reading mnemonic

For ガク, imagine a student at a desk saying 'Gak!' as they finally understand a tough science concept: Gak -> ガク, and the lightbulb moment happens in the schoolhouse.