How to say "diploma" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- nounThe katakana borrowing of 'diploma'. It carries the English word's general sense and is a less common choice; for the certificate received on graduating, the native terms 学位記 and 卒業証書 fit better.
- 修了証書しゅうりょうしょうしょnounA certificate of completion: it attests that a course or program of study has been finished. Choose it when 'diploma' means proof of completing a course rather than the graduation document itself.
- 学位記がくいきnounA document certifying the conferral of an academic degree, presented at graduation; for 'diploma' in the degree-certificate sense, this is the precise word.
- 奥許しおくゆるしnounIts main senses are 'secret' and 'initiation': in the traditional arts it names the license certifying initiation into a school's innermost teachings, so it is seldom the word you want for an educational diploma.
- 卒業証書そつぎょうしょうしょnounThe certificate of graduation — the diploma received on finishing school. When 'diploma' means that graduation document, this is the apt word; 学位記 is its counterpart naming the degree itself.
For the diploma given at graduation use 卒業証書, or 学位記 when the certified academic degree is the point; 修了証書 covers course completion, 「ディプロマ」 is the katakana borrowing, and 「奥許し」 is a traditional-arts license.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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