Word
Kana: そつぎょう Romaji: sotsugyou Level: N4

卒業

Meaning in English

graduation, completion of school

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Word context

What it means

卒業 means graduation from an educational program. It denotes the completion of required coursework and the transition from student to graduate, often accompanied by a ceremony and a diploma.

Main meanings

  • Graduation from a school or program—the completion of required coursework and fulfillment of conditions for advancement.
  • The graduation ceremony or the act of commemorating the achievement.
  • With 卒業する, the verb sense means to graduate, i.e., to finish one's studies and move on.
  • In a broader sense, the concept of completing a level of formal education and entering a new life stage.

How to use it

Primarily used in educational contexts to denote completion of a program; commonly appears in formal writing, school announcements, and personal milestones; is used with 卒業する for the verb form, and in compounds like 卒業式 and 卒業証書.

Variants and close terms

  • 修了 (shūryō) — completion or finishing of a course or program
  • 終了 (shūryō) — end, completion as a general term
  • 卒業する (sotsugyō suru) — to graduate, the verb form

Composition

  • 卒: finish, complete; used to denote reaching the end of a process or life stage
  • 業: work, study, or line of endeavor; here refers to a course of study or field

Word class

Noun (名詞); can form a verb phrase 卒業する (sotsugyō suru) to mean 'to graduate'

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