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生徒
seito
student
この学校には500人の生徒がいます。
This school has 500 students.
formal
A person who is learning at a school, college, or other educational institution.
生徒たちは教室で静かに勉強していた。
The students were studying quietly in the classroom.
彼女は中学校の生徒です。
She is a junior high school student.
Often used for K-12 students; for university students, 大学生 (daigakusei) is more common.
Pro Tip
Distinguishing 生徒 vs 学生
Use 生徒 for K-12 students and 学生 for university students or adult learners. For example, 中学生 (chūgakusei, middle school student) is a 生徒, while 大学生 (daigakusei, university student) is a 学生.
Word Origin
From Middle Chinese 生徒 (shēng tú, "student"), combining 生 (shēng, "to be born, to live, to grow") and 徒 (tú, "person, follower"). The Japanese usage follows the Classical Chinese sense of a learner under a teacher's guidance.
Usage Notes
生徒 is typically used for younger students (elementary to high school), while 学生 is preferred for university students. In formal contexts, it may also refer to disciples or followers of a master/teacher.
Word Breakdown
生
life, to live, to grow
root徒
person, follower, group
root和英辞典