遠足

えんそく

trip, hike, picnic

JLPT N2

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

"遠足" (えんそく) refers to a short trip or excursion, often organized by schools or groups, typically involving outdoor activities like hiking or visiting a park or zoo. It is commonly used to describe school field trips or casual day outings.

Common Contexts

This word is frequently used in educational settings when students go on a day trip. It can also apply to family or group outings where participants bring packed lunches and enjoy nature.

Collocations and Patterns

  • 遠足に行く: to go on a trip or excursion
  • 遠足の準備: preparations for the trip
  • 遠足が中止になる: the trip gets canceled

Register and Nuance

"遠足" is a neutral term suitable for both formal and informal contexts, but it is most often heard in everyday conversation related to school or leisure activities.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse 遠足 with 長旅 (long journey) or 旅行 (travel), but 遠足 specifically implies a short, usually daytime outing rather than extended travel.

Example Sentences

がっこうのえんそくでどうぶつえんにいきました。

We went to the zoo on a school trip.

えんそくのじゅんびでおべんとうをつくりました。

I made a packed lunch in preparation for the picnic.

えんそくはてんきがよくないとちゅうしになることがあります。

The trip may be canceled if the weather is bad.