This lesson will be about how to express fields of study in Japanese. We will be utilizing this opportunity to take a break from pure grammar studies to expand upon vocabulary in an easy and productive way.
Curriculum Note: This lesson as recently been truncated to simply be about fields of study. As such, it is subject to its own remodeling in the near future.
Many fields of study end with the suffix -gaku 学, which equates to "the study of." It also corresponds to the English suffix -ology. Of course, not all fields of study end in this. Below are some of the most common fields of studies:
| 医学 | いがく | Medical science | 科学 | かがく | Science |
| 化学 | かがく | Chemistry | 数学 | すうがく | Mathematics |
| 物理学 | ぶつりがく | Physics | 音楽 | おんがく | Music |
| 建築学 | けんちくがく | Architecture | 工学 | こうがく | Engineering |
| 電気工学 | でんきこうがく | Electrical engineering | 土木工学 | どぼくこうがく | Civil engineering |
| 機械工学 | きかいこうがく | Mechanical engineering | 遺伝子工学 | いでんしこうがく | Genetic engineering |
| 電子工学 | でんしこうがく | Electronics | 哲学 | てつがく | Philosophy |
| 言語学 | げんごがく | Linguistics | 社会学 | しゃかいがく | Sociology |
| 法律学 | ほうりつがく | Law | 経済学 | けいざいがく | Economics |
| 生物学 | せいぶつがく | Biology | 地学 | ちがく | Geology |
| 教育学 | きょういくがく | Education | 体育学 | たいいくがく | Physical education |
| 農学 | のうがく | Agriculture | 心理学 | しんりがく | Psychology |
| 美術 | びじゅつ | Fine arts | 芸術 | げいじゅつ | Art |
| 経営学 | けいえいがく | Business administration | 文学 | ぶんがく | Literature |
| 天文学 | てんもんがく | Astronomy | 宗教学 | しゅうきょうがく | Theology |
| 薬学 | やくがく | Pharmachology | 生化学 | せいかがく | Biochemstry |
| 環境科学 | かんきょうかがく | Environmental science | コンピューター科学 | コンピューターかがく | Computer science |
| 地理学 | ちりがく | Geography | 国際関係学 | こくさいかんけいがく | International relations |
Word Note: Science is 科学. In reference to courses, it's 理科. "Science department" is 理学部. "Science course" is 理科系. 理系, an abbreviation, is used in expressions such as 理系の学生. 理学部の学生 is a "science major".