塾じゅく

じゅ

く

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

cram school; private tutoring school; juku

Refers to a private after-school academy where students study academic subjects, prepare for entrance exams, or receive supplementary lessons. The word is widely understood and culturally specific to Japan and similar East Asian education systems.

彼かれは毎まい日にち、学がっ校こうの後あとに塾じゅくに

通かよ

っ

て

いる

。

He goes to cram school every day after school.

受じゅ験けんのために塾じゅくで数すう学がくを勉べん強きょうしています。

I'm studying math at a juku for the entrance exams.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉が塾じゅくに通かようto attend a cram school regularly
彼かれは毎まい日にち塾じゅくに通かよっている。
He goes to cram school every day.
塾じゅくに入はいるto enroll in a cram school
来らい月げつから新あたらしい塾じゅくに入はいることにした。
I decided to enroll in a new cram school starting next month.
塾じゅくをやめるto quit a cram school
成せい績せきが上あがらず、塾じゅくをやめてしまった。
My grades didn't improve, so I ended up quitting the cram school.
塾じゅくで〈事こと〉を教おそわるto be taught a subject at cram school
塾じゅくで数すう学がくを教おそわっている。
I'm being taught math at cram school.
塾じゅくの帰かえりon the way home from cram school
塾じゅくの帰かえりにコンビニに寄よった。
I stopped by the convenience store on the way home from cram school.

Kanji

塾cram school, private school

Related words

学がく習しゅう塾じゅく
学習塾 is the fuller, more formal term for a cram school, while 塾 is the everyday abbreviated form most people use.
予よ備び校こうN1
予備校 specifically means a full-time prep school for high-school graduates studying for university entrance exams, whereas 塾 covers part-time tutoring at any school level.
私し塾じゅく
塾 is the general, everyday word for a cram or tutoring school, while 私塾 stresses that the school is privately run and can also refer to Edo-period academies.

Don't confuse with

家か庭てい教きょう師し
家庭教師 is a private tutor who comes to the student's home, while 塾 is a school-like facility students travel to.

Word family· 18

塾じゅく生せい
cram school student; student at a private tutoring school
塾じゅく長ちょう
principal of a private school; head of a cram school
入にゅう塾じゅく
enrolling at a cram school; entering a private tutoring academy
私し塾じゅく
small private school; cram school · private school (Edo period); Confucian private academy

Written forms

塾じゅくUsage98%
Standard kanji spelling; the word is almost always written this way.
じゅくUsage2%
Kana spelling is readable but uncommon in practice; the kanji is strongly preferred.

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 塾 (dzyuwk, “school, private teaching place”). The character originally referred to a side room or a place for study within a residence. In modern Japanese, it has become the standard word for a private after-school tutoring academy.

塾じゅく弁べん

cram school lunch box

Show 9 more

塾じゅく舎しゃ
cram school building · dormitory for cram school students
塾じゅく講こう
cram school teacher; teaching at a cram school
塾じゅく頭とう
principal of a cram school; head of a private tutoring academy
家か塾じゅく
private school run by a scholar at home (historical)
画が塾じゅく
private painting school
義ぎ塾じゅく
charity school; private academy
退たい塾じゅく
leaving a cram school; dropping out of a cram school
通つう塾じゅく
attending a cram school; commuting to a cram school
塾じゅく講こう師し
cram school teacher

See all 18 in Explore →