Japanese Conversation · Level 11
90 words
Japanese word
卒業
Pronunciation
Romajisotsugyō
Meaning
- noungraduation
Example
私は来年、大学を卒業します。watashi wa rai nen dai gaku o sotsu gyō shi ma su
I will graduate from college next year.
More examples
家族が私の卒業を祝ってくれました。ka zoku ga watashi no sotsu gyō o iwa tte ku re ma shi ta
My family celebrated my graduation.
Core concept
Marks the completion of a stage of formal study and the move beyond it.
Common phrases
大学を卒業するdai gaku o sotsu gyō su ru
graduate from college
高校を卒業するkō kō o sotsu gyō su ru
graduate from high school
卒業式sotsu gyō shiki
graduation ceremony
Similar words
修了shūryō: The end of a specific course or program of study.
Definition in Japanese
学校や大学などで学ぶ課程を修了すること。gak kō ya dai gaku na do de mana bu ka tei o shū ryō su ru ko to
Word origin
The Sino-Japanese compound 卒業 (sotsugyō) combines 卒 (sotsu, "finish") and 業 (gyō, "study or work"), giving the sense of completing a course of study.
Usage tips
- In everyday Japanese, 卒業 (sotsugyō) commonly refers to finishing school, while English graduation can also describe the ceremony itself.
Opposites
- 入学nyūgakuenrollmentnoun
Related words
- 卒業生sotsugyōseigraduatenoun