塾
Meaning in Englishafter-school (cram) school
Animated kanji stroke order
Related sentences
Related sentences
There are no published items in this section yet.
Word context
What it means
塾 means a private after-school educational institution in Japan that offers supplementary lessons and exam preparation for students. These schools operate outside regular school hours and focus on reinforcing classroom material and preparing for entrance exams.
Main meanings
- Private after-school cram schools offering extra classes to reinforce studies and prepare for entrance exams.
- General term for tutoring centers that supplement standard schooling, used for subject-focused support.
- Commonly used in urban discussions about education as a category of institutions rather than a specific school.
How to use it
Used in both formal and casual contexts to refer to private after-school classes; commonly discussed when planning study schedules, evaluating exam-prep options, or describing enrollment; typical verbs include going to or attending a juku and selecting a program.
Variants and close terms
- 予備校 (yobikō) - prep school; often focused on highly selective university entrance exam preparation
- 学習塾 (がくしゅうじゅく, gakushū juku) - a more formal term for tutoring centers that offer general subject instruction
- 家庭教師 (かていきょうし, katei kyōshi) - home tutoring; not a juku but a related option
Etymology
塾 is a single-kanji character whose primary on'yomi is juku; the pronunciation stabilized in modern Japanese as a specialized term for tutoring and cram schools; there is no widely used kun'yomi for this word.
Origin
After World War II, urbanization and intense competition for entrance exams spurred the rapid spread of private cram schools (juku) across Japan, especially in major cities.
Word class
Noun (名詞)