1.
cram school; tutoring school; after-school study school
A private supplementary school where students attend after regular school hours to prepare for entrance exams or improve academic performance. A central part of the Japanese education system.
子どもを学習塾に通わせている。
I'm sending my child to a cram school.
学習塾の月謝は結構高い。
The monthly tuition for cram school is quite expensive.
中学受験のために、小学4年生から学習塾に通い始める子どもが多い。
Many children start attending cram school from the fourth grade of elementary school in preparation for middle school entrance exams.
Composed of 学習 (study, learning) + 塾 (private school). This is the formal term for cram schools; in everyday conversation, people often say simply 塾.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 学習塾に通う: to attend a cram school
- 学習塾の講師: cram school instructor
- 学習塾の月謝: cram school monthly tuition
- 個別指導塾: individual tutoring school
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 塾: cram school — shorter, more casual version of the same concept
- 予備校: prep school — specifically for university entrance exam preparation, typically for high school students
- 進学塾: advancement-oriented cram school — focused specifically on entrance exam preparation
CULTURAL NOTE:
Cram schools are a major part of Japanese education culture. According to surveys, over half of Japanese middle school students attend some form of 塾. The industry is large, with major chains like 河合塾 and 日能研 being household names.