同級生（どうきゅうせい、doukyuうsei）
- classmate

The Japanese word 同級生, pronounced どうきゅうせい (dōkyūsei), means "classmate" or "schoolmate." It refers to someone who is in the same grade or year level as you at school. This could be in elementary school, middle school, high school, or university. It implies a shared educational experience and the fact that you started the academic year at the same time.

⚫︎ 私の同級生 Translation: My classmate ⚫︎ 彼は同級生です。 Translation: He is a classmate. ⚫︎ 高校の同級生たち Translation: High school classmates

You can use 同級生 to refer to people you went to school with, in the same year or grade. It's a common term and can be used in various contexts, such as: ⚫︎ When talking about school memories. ⚫︎ When introducing someone you went to school with. ⚫︎ When describing relationships from your school days. The word is typically used in formal and informal situations.

同級生 is typically written in kanji as 同級生, with the reading in hiragana as どうきゅうせい. There is no other commonly used writing form. The okurigana (suffix hiragana) is standard.

There aren't many direct synonyms for 同級生, as it is a specific term. However, depending on context, you could use related terms: ⚫︎ クラスメイト (Kurasumeito): Classmate (borrowed word) ⚫︎ 仲間 (Nakama): Friend/Comrade (more general, but can include classmates)

The direct antonym of 同級生 would depend on the context. If referring to someone not in your grade, some options could include: ⚫︎ 先輩 (Senpai): Senior/Upperclassman ⚫︎ 後輩 (Kōhai): Junior/Underclassman

私の同級生はみんな卒業しました。 ・Translation: My classmates all graduated. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the graduation of the speaker's classmates, emphasizing the shared experience of graduation.

あの人は同級生で、とても親切です。 ・Translation: That person is a classmate, and they are very kind. ・Explanation: This sentence introduces a classmate and highlights their friendly nature.

The word 同級生 is formed from the following: ⚫︎ 同 (dō): same, equal ⚫︎ 級 (kyū): grade, class ⚫︎ 生 (sei): student, life (in this context, it indicates someone of a certain school year) The kanji combine to convey the meaning of "same grade student".