学 means “learning / study”

Watch: Gen and Shibamaru learn 学

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Where 学 comes from

The older form of 学 is 學. The bottom part is 子 (child), and the top is often explained as a roof and two hands: a child learning in a school building.

Stroke order (8 strokes)

1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
5. 5
6. 6
7. 7
8. 8

Words with 学

• 

  学校がっこう

  GAKKOU

  school

• 

  学生がくせい

  GAKUSEI

  student

• 

  大学だいがく

  DAIGAKU

  university

• 

  学ぶまなぶ

  MANABU

  to learn

• 

  入学にゅうがく

  NYUUGAKU

  starting school

The part of each word written with 学 is shown in orange. Audio: the readings from our video.

Reading tips

• In 学校, がく becomes がっ (GAK): GAKKOU. The sound gets shorter before the next sound.
• 学ぶ (MANABU) means "to learn." In everyday talk, people often say べんきょうする (BENKYOU SURU, to study) instead.

In the video

• Genおれは 学生だ！I'm a student!
• Shibamaruいっしょに 学ぼうLet's learn together!

Example sentences

• わたしは 学生です。

  WATASHI WA GAKUSEI DESU.

  I am a student.

• 学校に いきます。

  GAKKOU NI IKIMASU.

  I go to school.

Keep learning kanji

• GENKI I Textbook (3rd Edition)

  Beginner

  A popular first textbook used in many university courses. Each lesson has a dialogue, grammar explanations in English, and plenty of practice.

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• Minna no Nihongo Beginner I Main Textbook (2nd Edition)

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  Written entirely in Japanese, with lots of sentence-pattern practice. Use it together with the Translation & Grammar Notes book.

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