What does “daigaku” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “daigaku” normally to mean ‘university’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, novels, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “daigaku” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “daigaku”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “daigaku”.
- daigaku – 大学 (だいがく) : a noun meaning ‘university’ or ‘college’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
The definition and meanings are not that difficult, I think. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
Daigaku in kanji
The kanji expression of “daigaku” consists of the following two kanji characters:
- 大 : a kanji character used to mean ‘big’, ‘large’, or such in Japanese.
- 学 : a kanji character used to express the act of studying.
These two kanji characters tell us that the formed noun literally means a ‘big study’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not in line with the actual meanings, but still close, I think. Big studies are often carried out in universities.
When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “daigaku” through the detailed kanji check above.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “daigaku” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “university” in Japanese
watashi wa daigaku ni iki tai – 私は大学に行きたい (わたしはだいがくにいきたい)
I want to go to university.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “watashi” to make the subject in the sentence.
- ni – に : a case particle used to say where someone or something goes. In the example, this is used after “daigaku” to say where the speaker wants to go.
- iki – 行き (いき) : one conjugation of the verb, “iku“, which means ‘to go’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- tai – たい : an auxiliary verb used after a verb to make its desire form. In the example, this is used after “iki” to make its desire form, “iki tai”, which means ‘to want to go’ in Japanese.
This is a typical usage of “daigaku”. In the example, it works together with the case particle, “ni”, to say “to university” in Japanese.
Example #2: another usage of “daigaku”
kanojo wa daigaku wo yame ta – 彼女は大学を辞めた (かのじょはだいがくをやめた)
She dropped out of university.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “daigaku” to make the object in the sentence.
- yame – 辞め (やめ) : one conjugation of the verb, “yameru“, which means ‘to leave’, ‘to quit’, or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form. In the example, this is used after “yame” to make its past tense form, “yame ta”.
This is another typical usage of “daigaku”. In the example, it works together with the case particle, “wo”, to become the object in the sentence. When we want to say “university” in Japanese, anyway, this noun is always a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “daigaku” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- daigaku – 大学 (だいがく) : a noun meaning ‘university’ or ‘college’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. These two kanji characters literally mean a ‘big study’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not in line with the actual meanings, but still close, I think. Big studies are often carried out in universities.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
