Meaning

Primary

Elementary School

Alternatives

Primary School, Grade School

Word Type

noun

Explanation

You've seen 学校 from a couple levels ago. Now we're adding a small to it. What is a "small school"? That's a school for small people, making it an elementary school.

Reading

しょうがっこう
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

The reading is the regular on'yomi reading of plus the vocab word 学校 that you've seen previously. Combine these two things for the reading of 小学校.

Context

Common Word Combinations

  • 公立小学校

    public elementary school

    市立小学校

    municipal elementary school

    私立小学校

    private elementary school

Context Sentences

私は小学校の先生です。

I am an elementary school teacher.

この町の小学校には、外国生まれの生徒もたくさんいますよ。

There are many foreign-born students in the elementary school in this town.

小学校の子どもたちに、絵本をよむボランティアの会に入ってます。

I am in a volunteer club that reads picture books to elementary school children.

小学校の時から、君のこと、ずっと気になっていたんだ。

I've been interested in you since we were in elementary school.

Kanji Composition