留学
Meaning in Englishstudying abroad
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Word context
What it means
留学 means studying abroad, the act of pursuing education outside one’s home country, typically through structured programs such as universities, language schools, or research stays.
Main meanings
- Living and learning in a foreign environment as part of an educational program, often to improve language skills and intercultural competence.
- Related terms and phrases that describe the process or setting, such as 留学する (to study abroad), 留学生活 (life as a student abroad), and 留学費用 (costs of studying overseas).
- Program variants include university exchanges, language-focused stays, and graduate or research fellowships.
How to use it
Used primarily in formal education contexts, media reports, and admissions materials, 留学 can stand alone as a noun or be paired with する to form 留学する, meaning to study abroad. Typical usage appears in sentences like 彼は来年、留学を予定している and 大学は留学プログラムを提供している.
Variants and close terms
- 交換留学 — exchange study abroad (kōkan ryūgaku)
- 語学留学 — language-study abroad (gogaku ryūgaku)
- 海外留学 — overseas study (kaigai ryūgaku)
Composition
- 留: stay, remain; used in compounds to indicate remaining in a place; conveys the sense of temporarily living away from home
- 学: study, learning; denotes education
- Together, 留学 expresses the idea of staying somewhere else to study for a period.
Origin
留学 emerged prominently in modern Japan during the Meiji era as the country opened to Western education; government and universities promoted sending students abroad to acquire advanced knowledge, with the practice expanding through the 20th century into diverse scholarship programs.
Word class
Noun (する動詞)