初等学校

shōtōgakkō
noun★Beginner— elementary school
formal

A school for children typically aged 6 to 12, covering grades 1 through 6 in Japan's education system.

日本の初等学校は6年間の義務教育です。

Elementary school in Japan is six years of compulsory education.

💡

In Japan, elementary school is followed by junior high school (中学校) and then high school (高等学校).

Collocations

初等学校の先生elementary school teacher初等学校の教科書elementary school textbook

Synonyms

Related Phrases

小学校phrase
elementary school (common term)

💡Pro Tip

Common Usage

While '初等学校' is the formal term, '小学校' is more frequently used in conversation.

📖Word Origin

Composed of '初等' (shōtō, meaning 'elementary') and '学校' (gakkō, meaning 'school').

📝Usage Notes

The term '初等学校' is the formal name for elementary school in Japan, though '小学校' (shōgakkō) is more commonly used in everyday speech.

Word Breakdown

初等
elementary
root
+
学校
school
root
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