The Meaning of jugyou [授業] In Japanese

授業
じゅぎょう
Romaji: jugyou N3

What does 授業 mean?

Translation and Meaning

class, lesson, instruction

Definition

The word 授業 (jugyou) means an organized instructional session led by an instructor where specific learning objectives are taught. It refers to the structured delivery of subject matter—often scheduled on a timetable—covering teacher-led explanations, guided activities, and assessment within schools, universities, or training programs.

Type

noun (名詞); verbal noun / suru-verb when used as ‘to give/do a class’ (サ変名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • 1. An individual scheduled session counted toward attendance or hours rather than the abstract idea of ‘teaching’.
  • 2. The overall course or subject unit when discussing curriculum, credits, or class load.
  • 3. Different formats of instruction (lecture-style, seminar, lab) depending on institution and context.
  • 4. Instructional sessions outside formal education such as corporate training or private tutoring.
  • 5. Administrative use to indicate cancellations, make-up sessions, or recorded class hours.

Origin

The modern usage of the term rose with Japan’s modernization of education in the late 19th century (Meiji era) as Western-style schools and standardized timetables were adopted; the concept of formally scheduled teacher-led sessions became central to the schooling system and the term consolidated into contemporary administrative and everyday language.

Composition

  • 授 — to grant, give, or confer; also used in contexts of instructing or bestowing.
  • 業 — work, business, task, or vocation; also refers to an activity or trade.
  • The compound thus conveys the idea of ‘giving work/teaching work’ or imparting an organized task/subject, producing the meaning of a formal lesson or instructional session.

Usage

Common across schools, universities, cram schools, and workplace training, the word is used in both spoken and written Japanese; it appears on timetables, syllabi, announcements, and everyday conversation about attending or teaching sessions, and is generally neutral/formal compared with casual loanwords for hobby lessons.
💡 Tips
Imagine a teacher giving (授) work (業) to students—teacher gives work = class; connect the ‘give’ + ‘work’ image to remember the word.

Variations

  • 講義 (kougi) — lecture (often university, more formal, large-group)
  • レッスン (ressun) — lesson (loanword, used for private or hobby classes)
  • 自習 (jishu) — self-study (student-led study without teacher)
  • 休講 (kyuukou) — cancelled class (administrative opposite)

Example Phrases

  • 授業の 説明で 私の 理解 が かなり 深まりました。
    jugyō no setsumei de watashi no rikai ga kanari fukamarimashita.
    My understanding deepened quite a bit from the class explanation.
    Lista:
    • 授業の (jugyō no) – of the class
    • 説明で (setsumei de) – through explanation
    • 私の (watashi no) – my
    • 理解 (rikai) – understanding
    • が (ga) – subject marker
    • かなり (kanari) – considerably
    • 深まりました (fukamarimashita) – deepened
    「理解」は名詞。ここでは私の理解が深まる意味で使われている。
  • 学校の機材を整備してから授業を始める。
    Gakkō no kizai o seibi shite kara kyō jugyō o hajimeru.
    We start class today after maintaining the school’s equipment.
    Lista:
    • 学校の機材を (gakkō no kizai o) – the school’s equipment
    • 整備してから (seibi shite kara) – after performing maintenance
    • 今日 (kyō) – today
    • 授業を (jugyō o) – class
    • 始める (hajimeru) – start
    Core grammar: 「整備してから」 expresses ‘after doing maintenance’.
  • 今日は授業後、充実した気分だ。
    Kyou wa jugyou-go, juujitsu shita kibun da.
    Today after class, I feel fulfilled.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (Kyou wa) – today
    • 授業後 (jugyou-go) – after class
    • 充実した (juujitsu shita) – fulfilling
    • 気分だ (kibun da) – feeling is
    The word 「充実」 is a noun that becomes 「充実した」 when you add した, meaning ‘fulfilling’ as in 「充実した気分」.
  • 授業の 疑問を 先生に 丁寧に 聞いて みた。
    Jugyō no gimon o sensei ni teinei ni kiite mita.
    I politely tried asking the teacher about a question I had in class.
    Lista:
    • 授業の (jugyō no) – class’s
    • 疑問を (gimon o) – question
    • 先生に (sensei ni) – to the teacher
    • 丁寧に (teinei ni) – politely
    • 聞いて (kiite) – asking
    • みた (mita) – tried
    「疑問」 is a noun meaning ‘question’ or ‘doubt’. In this sentence, 授業の「疑問」 means ‘a question about the class’; the を marks the object of 聞いてみた, and 丁寧に indicates the polite manner.
  • 授業の補足を 先生が くれる ときに ノートを 取る。
    Jugyō no hosoku o sensei ga kureru toki ni nooto o toru.
    I take notes when the teacher provides supplementary explanations in class.
    Lista:
    • 授業の補足を (jugyō no hosoku o) – lesson supplement
    • 先生が (sensei ga) – the teacher
    • くれる (kureru) – gives (to me)
    • ときに (toki ni) – when
    • ノートを (nooto o) – notebook
    • 取る (toru) – take
    Core point: 「補足」 means ‘supplement’ or ‘additional explanation’, here the object of くれる in 授業の補足をくれる.
授業