The Meaning of shukudai [宿題] In Japanese

宿題
しゅくだい
Romaji: shukudai N5

What does 宿題 mean?

Translation and Meaning

homework, assignment

Definition

宿題 means a teacher-assigned task to be completed outside class; it is a core element of schooling, designed to reinforce concepts, practice skills, and prepare students for upcoming lessons.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • homework tasks assigned by teachers to be completed outside classroom hours
  • a general term for school-related study exercises, such as worksheets or problem sets
  • the act of doing such tasks, expressed in phrases like 宿題をする and 宿題がある

Etymology

宿 shuku lodging, stay; 題 dai topic; together they form a compound meaning a topic to be addressed outside class, hence 宿題; the reading is shukudai using on’yomi of both characters.

Composition

  • 宿: lodging, stay; in compounds it signals a setting where tasks are undertaken
  • 題: topic, subject; indicates the prompt or issue to address
  • Combination: 宿題 denotes a designated topic to be addressed outside class

Usage

Primarily used in educational settings to refer to assignments given by teachers; casual speech uses 宿題をする for doing homework and 宿題がある to indicate you have homework; in formal writing, 宿題を提出する or 学習課題 can be used as a more formal variant.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: stay at home to tackle a topic; shukudai equals 宿題— a quick mental cue to remember that homework is a topic you handle at home.

Variations

  • 課題 (kadai) — assignment or task
  • 家庭学習 (katei gakushū) — home study
  • 学習課題 (gakushū kadai) — study task; more formal nuance

Example Phrases

  • 宿題を 終えたら 友達と 映画を 見に 行く。
    Shukudai o oetara tomodachi to eiga o mi ni iku.
    When I finish my homework, I’ll go to see a movie with my friends.
    Lista:
    • 宿題を (Shukudai o) – homework
    • 終えたら (oetara) – when you finish
    • 友達と (tomodachi to) – with friends
    • 映画を (eiga o) – movie
    • 見に (mi ni) – to see
    • 行く。 (iku.) – go
    Core grammar: 「宿題」 is the object marked by を in 宿題を終えたら.
  • この生意気な子、宿題を忘れて先生にまた怒られた。
    Kono namaiki na ko, shukudai o wasurete sensei ni mata okorarareta.
    This cheeky kid forgot his homework and was scolded by the teacher again.
    Lista:
    • この (kono) – this
    • 生意気な子 (namaiki na ko) – cheeky kid
    • 宿題を忘れて (shukudai o wasurete) – forgetting homework
    • 先生に (sensei ni) – to the teacher
    • また (mata) – again
    • 怒られた (okorarareta) – was scolded
    生意気 é um na-adjective; para modificar um substantivo use 「生意気な」 (base: 「生意気」); aqui descreve 「子」.
  • 宿題を忘れた 子どもには 罰が 必要 だ と 親は 思う。
    Shukudai o wasureta kodomo ni wa batsu ga hitsuyou da to oya wa omou.
    Parents think that punishment is necessary for children who forget their homework.
    Lista:
    • 宿題を忘れた (Shukudai o wasureta) – forgot homework
    • 子どもには (kodomo ni wa) – to/for children
    • 罰が (batsu ga) – punishment
    • 必要 (hitsuyou) – necessary
    • だ (da) – is
    • と (to) – that
    • 親は (oya wa) – the parents
    • 思う (omou) – think
    「罰」 is a noun meaning punishment; here it is the subject of the clause 罰が必要だ.
  • 坊や、 宿題を 片付けたら 一緒に 公園へ 行こう。
    Bōya, shukudai o katazuketara issho ni kōen e ikou.
    Hey kid, once you finish your homework, let’s go to the park together.
    Lista:
    • 坊や (bōya) – dear child; vocative term
    • 宿題を (shukudai o) – homework (object marker)
    • 片付けたら (katazuketara) – if/when you finish (tidy up)
    • 一緒に (issho ni) – together
    • 公園へ (kōen e) – to the park
    • 行こう (ikou) – let’s go
    It functions as a vocative to address a child; here the sentence begins with 「坊や」, a casual, affectionate address.
宿題