就学前(しゅうがくまえ)

しゅうがくまえ
noun
preschool age; before starting school
1. preschool age; before starting school
The period before a child enters compulsory education (elementary school in Japan, age 6). Used in education, childcare, and policy contexts.
就学前(しゅうがくまえ)の子(こ)ども。
A preschool-age child.
就学前(しゅうがくまえ)の教育(きょういく)が重要視(じゅうようし)されている。
Preschool education is considered important.
就学前(しゅうがくまえ)の段階(だんかい)で、ひらがなの読(よ)み書(か)きを習(なら)う子(こ)どもが増(ふ)えている。
More children are learning to read and write hiragana at the preschool stage.

Compound of 就学(しゅうがく) (entering school; starting compulsory education) + 前(まえ) (before). In Japan, compulsory education begins at age 6 with 小学校(しょうがっこう) (elementary school), so 就学前(しゅうがくまえ) refers to children under 6.

Used as a no-adjective modifier: 就学前(しゅうがくまえ)の児童(じどう) (preschool children).

The 前(まえ) suffix pattern is productive for time expressions: 出発前(しゅっぱつまえ) (before departure), 結婚前(けっこんまえ) (before marriage).

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 就学前(しゅうがくまえ)教育(きょういく): preschool education
  • 就学前(しゅうがくまえ)児童(じどう): preschool-age children
  • 就学前(しゅうがくまえ)健康(けんこう)診断(しんだん): pre-enrollment health checkup

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 未就学(みしゅうがく): not yet enrolled in school — more formal, used in official documents
  • 幼児(ようじ): young child; toddler — refers to the age group (roughly 1-6) rather than the school status
  • 学齢(がくれい): school age — the age at which compulsory education begins
general
Added 2026.5.8 20:19
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