下校（げこう、gekou）
- leaving school

The Japanese word 下校 下校, pronounced げこう, means "going home from school" or "leaving school" after the school day is over. It specifically refers to the act of students departing from the school premises at the end of their classes. It implies the transition from the school environment to the home or another destination.

⚫︎ 子供たちは3時に下校します。 Translation: The children leave school at 3 o'clock. ⚫︎ 下校前に宿題を終わらせなければなりません。 Translation: I have to finish my homework before leaving school. ⚫︎ バス停で友達と下校する。 Translation: To go home from school with friends at the bus stop.

⚫︎ 下校 下校 is most commonly used in the context of schools, specifically regarding students. ⚫︎ It's a standard term used by teachers, students, parents, and anyone involved with the school environment. ⚫︎ It is used to describe the action of students departing from school, the time they depart, or plans related to leaving school. ⚫︎ You can use it in various tenses and forms, such as 下校する (to leave school), 下校した (left school), or 下校時間 (departure time from school).

⚫︎ The word is typically written with the kanji 下 (ge/ka: below/down) and 校 (kou: school), forming 下校 下校. ⚫︎ The reading げこう is standard. ⚫︎ No variations in okurigana are common.

⚫︎ While there aren't direct synonyms in the same way as in English, related phrases include: ⚫︎ 学校を出る (gakkou wo deru: to leave school) ⚫︎ 帰宅する (kitaku suru: to go home) - This is a more general term for going home, not necessarily limited to school.

⚫︎ While there isn't a single antonym, words/phrases associated with arriving at school are the opposite in context. ⚫︎ 登校 (toukou: going to school/arriving at school)

毎日の下校時に、彼は友達と待ち合わせをします。 ・Translation: Every day when leaving school, he meets up with his friends. ・Explanation: This sentence describes a routine during the time of 下校 下校.

下校途中に、雨が降り始めました。 ・Translation: It started to rain on the way home from school. ・Explanation: This sentence describes an event that happened during the process of 下校 下校, or on the way home from school.

⚫︎ The word 下校 下校 is formed by combining the kanji 下 (below, down) and 校 (school). ⚫︎ The 下 implies "going down" or "departing" from the school. ⚫︎ The combination visually represents leaving the higher place (school) and going toward the "lower" place (home or elsewhere).