The Meaning of gakureki [学歴] In Japanese

学歴
がくれき
Romaji: gakureki N3

What does 学歴 mean?

Translation and Meaning

educational background, academic history, educational credentials

Definition

What does 学歴 mean? It refers to a person’s educational background—the schools attended and degrees earned that constitute their formal education history; used in admissions, job applications, and discussions of qualifications.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • educational background: the schools attended and degrees earned that form the formal education history
  • credential emphasis: used in evaluating someone’s qualifications in employment or academic contexts
  • contextual nuance: 高学歴 (kougakureki) or 学歴社会 (gakureki shakai) describes a society that places weight on diplomas

Composition

  • 学 (gaku): study, learning; the concept of schooling
  • 歴 (reki): history, record; marks a recorded timeline

Usage

Used in formal contexts such as resumes and CVs, job interviews, admission documents, and policy discussions about credentialism; in casual speech it is less common and people may refer to broader terms like 経歴 or 職歴.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: Gather Knowledge, Record It (GAKU-REKI) — visualize a timeline of your studies; the two kanji represent learning and history, together making the concept of your educational background.

Variations

  • 経歴 (keireki) — career history, broader than 学歴
  • 職歴 (shokureki) — work history
  • 学歴社会 (gakureki shakai) — credential-focused society

Example Phrases

  • 就職面接で 学歴を 正直に 話した が 評価は 分かれた。
    Shūshoku mensetsu de gakureki o shōjiki ni hanashita ga hyōka wa wakareta.
    In a job interview, I spoke honestly about my educational background, and the evaluations were divided.
    Lista:
    • 就職面接で (shūshoku mensetsu de) – in a job interview
    • 学歴を (gakureki o) – educational background
    • 正直に (shōjiki ni) – honestly
    • 話した (hanashita) – spoke
    • が (ga) – but
    • 評価は (hyōka wa) – the evaluations
    • 分かれた (wakareta) – were divided
    Core point: 「学歴」 is a noun meaning ‘educational background’; here it is the object of 話す as 学歴を話す. Put 「学歴」 to highlight the term.
学歴