The Meaning of sotsugyō [卒業] In Japanese

卒業
そつぎょう
Romaji: sotsugyō N4

What does 卒業 mean?

Translation and Meaning

graduation, completion of studies

Definition

卒業 means graduation from an educational program. It denotes the completion of required coursework and the transition from student to graduate, often accompanied by a ceremony and a diploma.

Type

Noun (名詞); can form a verb phrase 卒業する (sotsugyō suru) to mean ‘to graduate’

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Graduation from a school or program—the completion of required coursework and fulfillment of conditions for advancement.
  • The graduation ceremony or the act of commemorating the achievement.
  • With 卒業する, the verb sense means to graduate, i.e., to finish one’s studies and move on.
  • In a broader sense, the concept of completing a level of formal education and entering a new life stage.

Composition

  • 卒: finish, complete; used to denote reaching the end of a process or life stage
  • 業: work, study, or line of endeavor; here refers to a course of study or field

Usage

Primarily used in educational contexts to denote completion of a program; commonly appears in formal writing, school announcements, and personal milestones; is used with 卒業する for the verb form, and in compounds like 卒業式 and 卒業証書.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: visualize a student tossing a mortarboard to mark the completion of the ‘work’ of studies; this image ties the kanji components to the meaning of 卒業.

Variations

  • 修了 (shūryō) — completion or finishing of a course or program
  • 終了 (shūryō) — end, completion as a general term
  • 卒業する (sotsugyō suru) — to graduate, the verb form

Example Phrases

  • 大学を卒業して、彼は独立を決意した。
    Daigaku o sotsugyō shite, kare wa dokuritsu o ketsui shita.
    After graduating from university, he decided to become independent.
    Lista:
    • 大学を (daigaku o) – university (object)
    • 卒業して (sotsugyō shite) – graduating
    • 彼は (kare wa) – he
    • 独立を (dokuritsu o) – independence (object)
    • 決意した (ketsui shita) – decided
    Core: 「独立」 is the noun for independence and is marked by を as the object of 決意する; 独立を決意する means to decide on independence.
  • 今日は高校を卒業して、家族と祝った。
    Kyou wa koukou o sotsugyou shite, kazoku to iwatta.
    Today I graduated from high school and celebrated with my family.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (Kyou wa) – today
    • 高校を (koukou o) – high school (object marker)
    • 卒業して (sotsugyou shite) – graduated and
    • 家族と (kazoku to) – with family
    • 祝った (iwatta) – celebrated
    Core idea: The word 「卒業」 is a noun that takes して to form the te-form 卒業して, connecting the action of graduating to the next action (e.g., celebrating).
卒業