学習

What it means

What does 学習 mean? It denotes the ongoing process of acquiring knowledge or skills through study and practice, encompassing formal schooling and self-directed learning; it refers to the activity of learning itself rather than the result and is commonly used with verbs like 学習する to describe the act.

Main meanings

• primary meaning: learning, the ongoing process of acquiring knowledge or skills through study and practice
• nuance: used to describe the act of learning in educational or research contexts, not merely information intake
• usage: common in academic terms such as 学習計画 and 学習者, as well as education policy and pedagogy discussions
• contrast: more formal and process-focused than 勉強 or 習得

How to use it

Used in formal and informal Japanese to denote the act of learning; appears with 学習する to describe studying, in compounds like 学習計画, 学習者, 学習過程; common in education literature, research papers, textbooks, and policy discussions; appropriate in academic settings, schools, and workplace training contexts.