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奨学金 (shougakukin) Japanese meaning: scholarship | Kotomora

奨しょう学がく金きん

also: しょうがっきん

しょ

う

が

く

き

ん

Common word›JLPTN3›

Meanings

1

scholarship; stipend; bursary; grant-in-aid

Financial aid for students, typically merit- or need-based, that does not require repayment.

彼かれは成せい績せきが良

よ

かっ

た

の

で

、

大だい

学がく

から

奨しょう

学がく

金きん

を

もらっ

た

。

He received a scholarship from the university because his grades were good.

この奨しょう学がく金きんは返へん済さいの必ひつ要ようがない。

This scholarship does not need to be repaid.

2

Financial aid that must be repaid; often used in contexts like 奨学金を借りる or 奨学金の返済.

日本にほんでは多おおくの学がく生せいが奨しょう学がく金きんを借かりて大だい学がくに通かよっている。
In Japan, many students attend university by taking out student loans.
卒そつ業ぎょう後ご、毎まい月つき奨しょう学がく金きんを返へん済さいしている。
After graduation, I repay my student loan every month.

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉を借かりるto take out (a student loan)
大だい学がくに入はいるときに奨しょう学がく金きんを借かりた。
I took out a student loan when I entered university.
〈物もの〉を返へん済さいするto repay (a student loan)
卒そつ業ぎょうしてから毎まい月つき奨しょう学がく金きんを返へん済さいしている。
Since graduating, I've been repaying my student loan every month.
〈物もの〉を申しん請せいするto apply for (a scholarship/loan)
経けい済ざい的てきな理り由ゆうで奨しょう学がく金きんを申しん請せいした。
I applied for financial aid for economic reasons.
〈物もの〉がもらえるto be awarded (a scholarship)
成せい績せきが良よければ奨しょう学がく金きんがもらえる。
If your grades are good, you can get a scholarship.
〈物もの〉の返へん済さいに苦くるしむto struggle with (loan) repayment
多おおくの若わか者ものが奨しょう学がく金きんの返へん済さいに苦くるしんでいる。
Many young people struggle with repaying their student loans.

Kanji

奨exhort, urge, encourage
学study, learning, science
金gold

Related words

給きゅう付ふ金きん sense 1
奨学金 refers specifically to financial aid for students, while 給付金 is a broader term for any money granted by the government or an organization without repayment.
ローンN2sense 2
奨学金 (in its loan sense) is specifically aid borrowed by students for education, while ローン is the general word for any borrowed loan (car, housing, etc.).
スカラシップ
奨学金 is the standard native Japanese term for a scholarship or grant, while スカラシップ is a loanword often used in international or English-influenced contexts.
フェローシップ
奨学金 refers specifically to a scholarship or grant of money for study, while フェローシップ is the broader English loanword covering both such grants and the sense of academic community.

Don't confuse with

学がく費ひN3
学費 is the tuition and school costs themselves, whereas 奨学金 is the financial aid used to help pay for them.

Word family

奨しょう学がく金きん制せい度ど
scholarship system

Built from

奨しょう学がく+金きん

Written forms

奨学金
- しょうがくきん
  Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
- しょうがっきん
  Alternate reading with geminated consonant; less common but recognized.
しょうがっきん

Etymology

Compound of 奨学 (しょうがく, 'encouragement of learning') + 金 (きん, 'money'). The reading しょうがっきん is a less common geminated variant.