How do you say "homework" in Japanese?

宿題

shukudai

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "homework" is 宿題 (shukudai).

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Pronunciation

Pronounce shu-ku-DAI, three syllables with dai rhyming with 'die' at the end, stressed slightly more than the first two.

Writing and usage

宿題 is written using kanji. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

夕食前に宿題を終えた。

yuushoku mae ni shukudai wo oe ta.

She finished her homework before dinner.

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How to remember 宿題

Shukudai ends in dai, like a groan, 'ugh, die' - the classic reaction to another pile of homework.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 宿題

How do you pronounce 宿題?

Pronounce shu-ku-DAI, three syllables with dai rhyming with 'die' at the end, stressed slightly more than the first two.

Is 宿題 formal or casual?

宿題 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 宿題 written in Japanese?

宿題 is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as shukudai.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Homework" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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