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科学
かがく
science
科学は私たちの生活を大きく変えた。
Science has greatly changed our lives.
formal
The systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.
化学は科学の一分野です。
Chemistry is a field of science.
科学者たちは新しい理論を発見した。
Scientists discovered a new theory.
Refers to both the body of knowledge and the method of inquiry.
Pro Tip
Distinguish from 理科
科学 refers to the broader field of science, while 理科 typically refers to natural sciences taught in schools (physics, chemistry, biology).
Gold Rule
Science vs. Technology
科学 (science) is the pursuit of knowledge, while 技術 (technology) is the application of that knowledge. Avoid conflating the two.
Word Origin
From Chinese 科學 (kēxué), combining 科 (kē, 'branch of study') and 學/学 (xué, 'learning'). Introduced to Japanese in the Meiji era (late 19th century) and later adopted into Chinese.
Usage Notes
Used broadly to refer to both the academic discipline and the methodology. In Japanese, it often appears in compound words like 科学技術 (science and technology) or 科学者 (scientist).
Word Breakdown
科
branch of study, department
root学
learning, study
root和英辞典