浪人生(ろうにんせい)

ろうにんせい
noun
student studying for another attempt at entrance exams
education
1. student retaking entrance exams; ronin student
A student who failed university entrance exams and is spending a year (or more) studying to retake them. These students typically attend prep schools (予備校) full-time while preparing for the next round of exams.
彼(かれ)は浪人生(ろうにんせい)だ。
He's a ronin student.
浪人生(ろうにんせい)の一年間(いちねんかん)は辛(つら)かった。
The year as a ronin student was tough.
浪人生(ろうにんせい)が予備校(よびこう)に通(かよ)いながら、第一志望(だいいちしぼう)の大学(だいがく)を目指(めざ)している。
The ronin student is attending a prep school while aiming for their first-choice university.

A culturally specific term in Japan's education system. After failing to gain admission to their desired university, some students choose to spend a gap year studying intensively rather than attending a less preferred school.

Forms

浪人(ろうにん) (ronin; masterless samurai → person without a fixed position) + 生(せい) (student). The term borrows from the historical concept of a samurai without a lord, metaphorically applied to students without a school.

Common collocations

  • 浪人生(ろうにんせい)活(かつ): ronin student life
  • 一浪(いちろう): one year of ronin study
  • 二浪(にろう): two years of ronin study
  • 浪人生(ろうにんせい)向(む)け: aimed at ronin students

Cultural note

Being a 浪人生(ろうにんせい) carries some social stigma but is extremely common. Many prestigious universities have a significant proportion of students who entered after one or more years of 浪人(ろうにん). The experience is often described as character-building despite its difficulty.

Related words

Related Words

Related: 予備校(よびこう) (cram school/prep school)
Related: 現役(げんえき) (a student who passes on their first…)
general
Added 2026.3.29 20:05 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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