How to Say ‘School’ in Japanese
学校
gakkou
[gahk-koh]
💬 Usage Tip: [学校] literally means “study + institution.” It’s a common base word: [小学校] (elementary), [中学校] (junior high), [高校] (high school).
🇯🇵 In Japan: When calling, it’s polite to confirm the destination first: [学校ですか。] or even better [〇〇小学校でしょうか。] (Is this XX Elementary School?).
Phrase Breakdown
学校
gakkou
[gahk-koh]
school
A general word meaning “school.” In absence calls, it often refers to the child’s school office/teacher you are calling.
学校に欠席の電話をします。
I will call the school to report an absence.
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