学校

がっこう

a school

JLPT N5

Character Breakdown

Basic Meaning and Usage

The word 学校 (xué xiào) refers to a school or educational institution where students go to learn. It is a very common noun used in everyday conversation, especially when talking about education, schedules, or places related to learning.

Common Collocations and Patterns

  • 学校 (xué xiào shàng kè): attend classes at school
  • 学校 (xué xiào fàng jià): school holiday or vacation
  • 学校老师 (xué xiào lǎo shī): school teacher

These collocations are frequently used in daily speech and writing. 学校 usually appears before verbs like (attend class) or (have a holiday), indicating the place or context of the action.

Usage Notes

When using 学校, it often implies a formal educational setting such as primary school, middle school, or university. It is not typically used for informal learning places like training centers or private tutoring rooms. Also, 学校 can be combined with other words to specify the type of school, for example, (elementary school), (middle school), or (university).

Avoid confusing 学校 with (campus), which refers to the physical grounds of a school rather than the institution itself.

Example Sentences

I go to school to attend classes every morning at eight.

This school has many excellent teachers.

The school is on holiday, and the students are all very happy.