学問・研究

三年さんねんの研究けんきゅうの後あと、学位がくいを取とった。

After three years of research, I got my degree.

Usage 学位 = an academic degree as a formal qualification: 学位を取る, 学位を授与する. The three are 学士, 修士 and 博士.

Remember it 学 (study) + 位 (rank) → the rank your study earns you.

来年らいねんから修士しゅうし課程かていに進すすむ。

I'm going on to a master's programme next year.

Usage 修士 = a master's degree: 修士課程 (master's programme), 修士論文 — the thesis, shortened to 修論 in student speech.

Remember it 修 (to complete a course of study) + 士 (a qualified person) → one who has completed the course.

彼かれは物理学ぶつりがくの博士はかせだ。

He has a doctorate in physics.

Usage Read はかせ in speech, はくし in formal writing (博士号 = はくしごう). It is also used loosely for a know-it-all: 昆虫博士.

Remember it 博 (broad knowledge) + 士 (qualified person) → the one with the broad knowledge.

大学だいがくを卒業そつぎょうして学士がくしになった。

I graduated from university and became a bachelor of my subject.

Usage 学士 = a bachelor's degree: 学士号. In everyday talk people just say 大卒 (a university graduate).

Remember it 学 (study) + 士 (qualified person) → the first rank of the qualified.

午前中ごぜんちゅうの講義こうぎは休講きゅうこうになった。

This morning's lecture was cancelled.

Usage 講義 is a university lecture; 授業 covers classes at any level. 休講 — a cancelled lecture — is the word students learn fastest.

Remember it 講 (to expound) + 義 (meaning) → expounding the meaning of something.

金曜日きんようびの演習えんしゅうでは発表はっぴょうがある。

There's a presentation in Friday's seminar.

Usage 演習 = a seminar or practical exercise class, smaller than a 講義. In maths it means practice problems; in the military, manoeuvres.

Remember it 演 (to perform) + 習 (to practise) → you don't just listen, you perform the practice.

看護かんごの学生がくせいが病院びょういんで実習じっしゅうしている。

Nursing students are doing practical training at the hospital.

Usage 実習 = hands-on training in the real setting: 教育実習 (teaching practice), 実習生. An office internship is インターンシップ.

Remember it 実 (real) + 習 (to learn) → learning it for real.

子供こどもたちが朝顔あさがおの成長せいちょうを観察かんさつしている。

The children are observing how the morning glories grow.

Usage 観察 = watching carefully in order to learn: 観察日記, 人間観察. 見る is merely to look; 観察 has a purpose.

Remember it 観 (to view) + 察 (to discern) → viewing closely enough to discern what is happening.

毎朝まいあさ体温たいおんを測定そくていしている。

I measure my temperature every morning.

Usage 測定 = measuring with an instrument: 測定器, 血圧を測定する. The everyday verb is 測る.

Remember it 測 (to measure) + 定 (to fix) → measuring until the number is fixed.

事故じこの原因げんいんを調査ちょうさしている。

They are investigating the cause of the accident.

Usage 調査 = a formal survey or investigation: アンケート調査, 実態調査, 調査結果. The everyday verb is 調べる.

Remember it 調 (to look into) + 査 (to examine) → looking into it and examining it properly.

博物館はくぶつかんで昆虫こんちゅうの標本ひょうほんを見みた。

I saw insect specimens at the museum.

Usage 標本 = a preserved specimen, and in statistics a sample: 標本調査 (sample survey). A sample shown to a customer is a 見本.

Remember it 標 (a typical mark) + 本 (the thing itself) → one preserved example standing for all.

似にたような事例じれいが過去かこにもあった。

There have been similar cases in the past.

Usage 事例 = a real case that actually happened, used in reports and research: 事例研究 (case study), 成功事例.

Remember it 事 (an event) + 例 (an example) → an event held up as an example.

説明せつめいに実例じつれいを一ひとつ加くわえた。

I added one real example to the explanation.

Usage 実例 = an actual, concrete example as opposed to an invented one: 実例を挙げる (to give a real example).

Remember it 実 (real) + 例 (example) → an example that really happened.

結果けっかについての考察こうさつを書かく。

I write up the discussion of the results.

Usage 考察 is the section of a paper where you interpret your results — the 'Discussion'. A paper runs 序論・方法・結果・考察.

Remember it 考 (to think) + 察 (to discern) → thinking it through until you see what it means.

一年間いちねんかんの努力どりょくの成果せいかが出でた。

A year of effort has produced results.

Usage 成果 = results you achieved, always positive: 成果を上げる, 成果が出る. 結果 is a neutral outcome, good or bad.

Remember it 成 (to accomplish) + 果 (fruit) → the fruit of what you accomplished.

研究けんきゅう結果けっかを学会がっかいで発表はっぴょうした。

I presented my research results at an academic conference.

Usage 発表 covers giving a presentation and making an announcement: 結果発表, 新製品の発表. A student's talk in class is a 発表.

Remember it 発 (to send out) + 表 (the surface) → bringing it out into the open.

今年ことしの学会がっかいは大阪おおさかで開ひらかれる。

This year's conference is being held in Osaka.

Usage 学会 is both the academic society and the conference it holds: 学会に入る (to join a society), 学会で発表する.

Remember it 学 (scholarship) + 会 (gathering) → scholars gathering.

この説せつは長ながい間あいだ論争ろんそうになっている。

This theory has been the subject of long-running controversy.

Usage 論争 = a public dispute, usually in print: 論争が起きる, 論争を呼ぶ. 議論 is discussion; 論争 has two sides fighting.

Remember it 論 (argument) + 争 (to fight) → arguments fighting each other.

それが今いまのところ定説ていせつになっている。

That is the established view for now.

Usage 定説 = the theory a field has settled on: 定説を覆す (to overturn it). Compare 通説 (what most people say) and 学説 (one scholar's theory).

Remember it 定 (fixed) + 説 (theory) → the theory that has been fixed in place.

その通説つうせつは新あたらしい研究けんきゅうで否定ひていされた。

That accepted view was refuted by new research.

Usage 通説 = the version most people accept, which may never have been proven. 定説 is firmer; 俗説 is mere popular belief.

Remember it 通 (to pass around) + 説 (theory) → the theory that gets passed around.

彼かれの学説がくせつは当時とうじ認みとめられなかった。

His theory was not accepted at the time.

Usage 学説 = an academic theory advanced by a scholar: 新しい学説を唱える (to put forward a new theory).

Remember it 学 (scholarship) + 説 (theory) → a theory that comes out of scholarship.

詳くわしくは下したの表ひょうを参照さんしょうしてください。

For details, please refer to the table below.

Usage 参照 = to refer to another place in a text: 参照してください, 参照先. 参考 is material consulted more loosely (参考文献 = references).

Remember it 参 (to go and consult) + 照 (to hold up against) → go and compare it with the source.

巻末かんまつの索引さくいんで言葉ことばを探さがす。

I look words up in the index at the back.

Usage 索引 = the index of a book: 索引を引く. The table of contents at the front is 目次 (もくじ).

Remember it 索 (to search) + 引 (to pull) → search, then pull the page out of the book.

難むずかしい言葉ことばには注釈ちゅうしゃくがついている。

Difficult words come with annotations.

Usage 注釈 = explanatory notes added to a text: 注釈をつける. In ordinary writing a footnote is 注 or 脚注.

Remember it 注 (to pour in) + 釈 (to explain) → pouring an explanation into the margin.

論文ろんぶんの要旨ようしを三百字さんびゃくじで書かく。

I write the abstract of the paper in three hundred characters.

Usage 要旨 = the gist, or the abstract at the head of a paper: 要旨をまとめる. 要約 is a summary you make of someone else's text.

Remember it 要 (the essential) + 旨 (the point) → the essential point and nothing else.

序論じょろんで研究けんきゅうの目的もくてきを述のべる。

In the introduction you state the aim of the research.

Usage 序論 is a paper's introduction, followed by 本論 and 結論. The same 序 gives 順序 (order) and 序章 (prologue).

Remember it 序 (the opening) + 論 (argument) → the opening of the argument.

前置まえおきはこのくらいにして、本論ほんろんに入はいろう。

Enough preamble — let's get to the main point.

Usage 本論 = the main body of an argument: 本論に入る (to get to the main point), used in speeches as much as in papers.

Remember it 本 (the main one) + 論 (argument) → the argument proper.

レポートに図表ずひょうを三みっつ入いれた。

I put three charts and tables in the report.

Usage 図表 = figures and tables together — 図 is a diagram or graph, 表 is a table: 図表を用いて説明する.

Remember it 図 (diagram) + 表 (table) → both ways of showing data, in one word.

売上うりあげの変化へんかをグラフにした。

I turned the change in sales into a graph.

Usage グラフ = a graph: 棒グラフ (bar), 折れ線グラフ (line), 円グラフ (pie). グラフにする = to graph something.

Remember it Straight from English 'graph' — but the shapes have Japanese names: 棒, 折れ線, 円.

引用いんようした文ぶんには出典しゅってんを示しめす。

You give the source for any text you quote.

Usage 出典 = where a quotation came from: 出典を明記する (to state the source clearly). The quoting itself is 引用.

Remember it 出 (to come out) + 典 (a classic text) → the text it came out of.

この作品さくひんには独創どくそう性せいがある。

This work has originality.

Usage 独創 almost always appears as 独創的 or 独創性: 独創的なアイデア. Creation in general is 創造.

Remember it 独 (alone) + 創 (to create) → created by you alone, not copied.

漢字かんじ検定けんていの二級にきゅうに合格ごうかくした。

I passed level two of the kanji proficiency test.

Usage 検定 = an official certification test: 漢検, 英検. It also means official approval: 検定教科書 (an approved textbook).

Remember it 検 (to examine) + 定 (to certify) → examined, then certified.

今学期こんがっきは六むっつの科目かもくを履修りしゅうする。

I'm taking six subjects this term.

Usage 履修 = formally taking a course for credit: 履修登録 (course registration), 履修科目. Simply attending is 受講.

Remember it 履 (to walk, to carry out — as in 履歴) + 修 (to study) → officially walking the course.

オンラインで受講じゅこうすることもできる。

You can also take the course online.

Usage 受講 = attending a course or class, at university or at a private school: 受講料 (course fee), 受講生.

Remember it 受 (to receive) + 講 (lecture) → receiving the lecture.

単位たんいは取とらずに聴講ちょうこうしている。

I'm sitting in on the class without taking credit.

Usage 聴講 = auditing a lecture without credit: 聴講生 (an auditing student). 聴く is to listen attentively, unlike plain 聞く.

Remember it 聴 (to listen closely) + 講 (lecture) → there only to listen.

休学きゅうがくしても学籍がくせきは残のこる。

Your student registration stays even if you take a leave of absence.

Usage 学籍 = your registration as a student: 学籍番号 (student ID number), 学籍を失う. The same 籍 gives 戸籍 (family register).

Remember it 学 (study) + 籍 (register) → your name on the school's register.

先生せんせいの研究室けんきゅうしつを訪たずねた。

I visited the professor's office.

Usage 研究室 is both the room and the research group you belong to: 研究室に配属される (to be assigned to a lab).

Remember it 研究 (research) + 室 (room) → the room the research group lives in.

指導教官しどうきょうかんに論文ろんぶんを見みてもらった。

I had my supervisor look over my thesis.

Usage 指導教官 = your academic supervisor; 指導教員 is commoner at private universities. 指導 alone = guidance, coaching.

Remember it 指導 (guidance) + 教官 (teaching officer) → the teacher assigned to guide you.

博士課程はかせかていは三年さんねん以上いじょうかかる。

A doctoral programme takes three years or more.

Usage 博士課程 = the doctoral programme, entered after 修士課程. Students in it are often just called ドクター.

Remember it 博士 (doctorate) + 課程 (programme) → the course of study that leads to a doctorate.

専門家せんもんかの意見いけんを聞きいてみよう。

Let's hear what an expert thinks.

Usage 専門家 = an expert in a field: 専門家によると (according to experts). 専門 alone is your own field: 専門は何ですか.

Remember it 専門 (speciality) + 家 (the person of that house) → the person who owns the speciality.