幼稚園(ようちえん)

ようちえん
noun
kindergarten; preschool
education
1. kindergarten; preschool
An educational institution for children aged 3-5, focused on early childhood education before elementary school.
息子(むすこ)は来年(らいねん)幼稚園(ようちえん)に入(はい)る。
My son will enter kindergarten next year.
幼稚園(ようちえん)の遠足(えんそく)で動物園(どうぶつえん)に行(い)った。
We went to the zoo on a kindergarten field trip.
幼稚園(ようちえん)の先生(せんせい)は優(やさ)しい。
The kindergarten teacher is kind.
幼稚園(ようちえん)の入園式(にゅうえんしき)に出席(しゅっせき)した。
I attended the kindergarten entrance ceremony.
娘(むすめ)は幼稚園(ようちえん)で友達(ともだち)がたくさんできて、毎日(まいにち)楽(たの)しそうに通(かよ)っている。
My daughter has made many friends at kindergarten and seems to enjoy going every day.

幼稚園(ようちえん) is a compound: 幼稚(ようち) (young/immature) + 園(えん) (garden/institution).

Similar words

  • 幼稚園(ようちえん): Education-focused, shorter hours, managed by Ministry of Education
  • 保育園(ほいくえん): Childcare-focused, longer hours, overseen by the Children and Families Agency (the Ministry of Health until 2023)

Common collocations

Cultural note

In Japan, 幼稚園(ようちえん) accepts children ages 3-5 (年少(ねんしょう)・年中(ねんちゅう)・年長(ねんちょう)). After kindergarten, children enter 小学校(しょうがっこう) (elementary school) at age 6.

Related Words

Compare: 保育園(ほいくえん) (nursery school)
Compare: 託児所(たくじしょ) (daycare center)
Compare: 保育所(ほいくしょ) (day nursery)
core
Added 2026.1.16 8:11 · Revised 2026.10.10 22:04
04500/04703_youchien