The Meaning of kengaku [見学] In Japanese

見学
けんがく
Romaji: kengaku N4

What does 見学 mean?

Translation and Meaning

observation, study visit, field trip, inspection

Definition

見学 means visiting a place to observe its operations for the purpose of learning or assessing how things work; it is a guided or supervised form of learning through direct observation.

Type

Noun; commonly used as a suru-verb (見学する)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Professional or educational observation of operations, such as factory or laboratory visits.
  • On-site inspection or evaluation conducted during a guided tour for learning purposes.
  • Structured visits in schools or organizations intended to observe processes and outcomes.

Composition

  • 見: to see; 学: study, learning; together they express learning by seeing, i.e., observing to learn.

Usage

Used in formal and semi-formal contexts to indicate a planned visit for learning, inspection, or research; typically paired with 見学する; common collocations include 見学先 and 見学ツアー; widely used in education, industry, and museum settings.
💡 Tips
Think of ‘see’ (見) plus ‘learn’ (学): a memory cue of a guided site visit where you watch to learn how things work.

Variations

  • 見物 kenbutsu — sightseeing
  • 観察 kansatsu — general observation, especially scientific or analytical
  • 現地見学 genchi kengaku — on-site visit for practical observation

Example Phrases

  • 明日の 見学を 友人と 一緒に 楽しみます。
    Ashita no kengaku o yuujin to issho ni tanoshimimasu.
    I will enjoy tomorrow’s tour with a friend.
    Lista:
    • 明日の (ashita no) – tomorrow’s
    • 見学を (kengaku o) – the tour
    • 友人と (yuujin to) – with a friend
    • 一緒に (issho ni) – together
    • 楽しみます。 (tanoshimimasu) – will enjoy
    Aqui, 「見学」 é um substantivo que significa ‘tour/inspection’; a estrutura Xを楽しみます indica ‘enjoy X’.
見学