1.
national language
The official language of a country.
日本の国語は日本語だ。
Japan's national language is Japanese.
その国には二つの国語がある。
That country has two national languages.
カナダでは英語とフランス語の二つが国語として定められている。
In Canada, English and French are established as the two national languages.
2.
Japanese (school subject)
The subject of Japanese language arts in school.
国語の授業
Japanese language class.
国語辞典
Japanese dictionary (monolingual).
国語が得意だ。
I'm good at Japanese (subject).
国語 means "national language." In Japan, this specifically refers to the Japanese language, especially as a school subject.
COMMON COMPOUNDS:
- 国語辞典: Japanese-language dictionary
- 国語の教科書: Japanese textbook
- 国語の授業: Japanese language class
- 国語力: Japanese language ability
AS A SCHOOL SUBJECT:
国語 is one of the core subjects in Japanese education, covering reading, writing, grammar, and literature. It is equivalent to "Language Arts" or "English" class in English-speaking countries.
CONTRAST:
- 国語: Japanese as a native language/school subject
- 日本語: Japanese language (used when talking about it as a foreign language or linguistically)
- 英語: English (as a school subject: 英語の授業)