保育園（ほいくえん、hoikuen）
- nursery

保育園 is a Japanese word that refers to a daycare center or preschool. These facilities provide care and education for young children, typically from infancy up to the age when they start elementary school (around six years old). 保育園 focuses on the care of children whose parents are working, studying, or otherwise unable to provide care during the day. The primary focus is on the welfare and development of the children.

⚫︎私の子供は来月から保育園に通います。 Translation: My child will start going to daycare next month. ⚫︎あの保育園はとても人気があります。 Translation: That daycare center is very popular. ⚫︎保育園の先生は子供たちの世話をしています。 Translation: The daycare teachers are taking care of the children.

You use 保育園 when talking about daycare centers. It's used in conversations when discussing where children go during the day, making arrangements for childcare, or referring to the facility itself. It's a common word used by parents, educators, and anyone involved with young children. You might use this word to ask: "Does your child go to a 保育園?" or to say, "I am looking for a 保育園."

保育園 is typically written in kanji and hiragana: 保育園. The kanji 保 means "to protect" or "to care for," and 育 means "to raise" or "to nurture." 園 means "garden" or "facility." The word is always written as 保育園, with no variations in the okurigana. It is read as ほいくえん (hoikuen) in hiragana.

There aren't many direct synonyms, but some related terms include: ⚫︎ 幼稚園 (youchien) - Kindergarten (for children aged 3-5, and focused more on education than care) ⚫︎ 託児所 (takujisho) - Daycare center (less common and can refer to a broader range of childcare options) ⚫︎ こども園 (kodomoen) - A facility that combines the functions of both 保育園 and 幼稚園.

There isn't a direct antonym.

両親が共働きなので、子供を保育園に預けています。 ・Translation: Since both parents work, they leave their child at daycare. ・Explanation: This sentence explains the reason why parents might use a 保育園.

この近くに評判の良い保育園はありますか？ ・Translation: Are there any well-reputed daycare centers near here? ・Explanation: This is an example of asking about 保育園 locations.

The word 保育園 is a compound word. 保 (ho) comes from 保護 (hogo), meaning "protection" or "care." 育 (iku) comes from 教育 (kyoiku), meaning "education" or "nurturing." 園 (en) means "garden" or "facility." The combination of these kanji reflects the dual purpose of a 保育園: to care for and nurture children.