kindergarten

kin·der·gar·ten
K5I1N1D2E1R1G2A1R1T1E1N1
Canada, US/ˈkɪndəɹˌɡɑːɹt(ə)n/Canada, US/ˈkɪndəɹˌɡɑːɹd(ə)n/Canada, US[ˈkʰɪn(d)əɹˌɡɑːɹt̬(ə)n]Canada, US[ˈkʰɪɾ̃əɹˌɡɑːɹʔn̩]

noun

An educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6; a nursery school.

Similar
preschoolnursery schoolKGreception
OriginGerman Kindergarten →
CommonFirst used 1852Scrabble 18
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Meanings

nounkindergarten (plural kindergartens or (obsolete) kindergärten)

plural kindergartens · obsolete plural kindergärten · alternative kindergarden · alternative kintergarden

  1. AustraliaCanadaIndiaUKUShistoricalAn educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6; a nursery school.First known use 1852

    Synonyms: preschool, nursery school, KG

  2. CanadaIndiaNew South WalesUSThe elementary school grade before first grade.

    Synonyms: reception

  3. PhilippinesThe two levels between nursery and prep; the second and third years of preschool.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6; a nursery school.

Similar
preschoolnursery schoolKG

nounThe elementary school grade before first grade.

Similar
reception
Also see
nursery schoolreceptionzeroth grade

Origin

  1. GermanKindergarten“kindergarten”
  2. Englishkindergarten

Unadapted borrowing from German Kindergarten (“kindergarten”, literally “garden of children”), coined by German pedagogue Friedrich Fröbel in 1840.

More words from German

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans kleuterskool
  • kleuterskooleducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Arabic رَوْضَة, رَوْضَة أَطْفَال
  • رَوْضَة (rawḍa)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • رَوْضَة أَطْفَالeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • رِيَاض أَطْفَال (riyāḍ ʔaṭfāl)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • رِيَاض (riyāḍ)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • حَضَانَة (ḥaḍāna)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • دَار حَضَانَة (dār ḥaḍāna)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • رَوْضَة (rawḍa)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Bengali কিণ্ডারগার্টেন
  • কিণ্ডারগার্টেন (kinḍargarṭen)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Bulgarian де́тска гради́на
  • де́тска гради́на (détska gradína)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Catalan llar d'infants, escola bressol
  • llar d'infantseducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • escola bressoleducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Chinese Mandarin 幼兒園 /幼儿园, 幼稚園 /幼稚园
  • 幼兒園 /幼儿园 (yòu'éryuán)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • 幼稚園 /幼稚园 (yòuzhìyuán)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Czech mateřská škola, školka
  • mateřská školaeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • školkaeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Danish børnehave, børnehaveklasse
  • børnehaveeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • børnehaveklassethe elementary school grade before first grade
Dutch kleuterschool
  • kleuterschooleducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Esperanto infanĝardeno, antaŭlernejo
  • infanĝardenoeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • antaŭlernejoeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Estonian lasteaed
  • lasteaededucational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Finnish esikoulu, päiväkoti
  • esikoulueducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • päiväkotieducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • lastentarhaeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • tarhaeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • esikouluthe elementary school grade before first grade
French maternelle, jardin d'enfants
  • maternelleeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • jardin d'enfantseducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • école maternelleeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
German Vorschule, Kindergarten
  • Vorschuleeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • Kindergarteneducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Greek νηπιαγωγείο, νηπιαγωγείο
  • νηπιαγωγείο (nipiagogeío)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • νηπιαγωγείο (nipiagogeío)the elementary school grade before first grade
Hebrew גַּן, גַן יְלָדִים
  • גַּן (gan)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • גַן יְלָדִים (gan y'ladím)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Hindi किंडरगार्टन, शिशूद्यान
  • किंडरगार्टन (kiṇḍargārṭan)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • शिशूद्यान (śiśūdyān)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • बालवाड़ी (bālvāṛī)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Hungarian óvoda
  • óvodaeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Icelandic leikskóli
  • leikskólieducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Indonesian taman kanak-kanak, raudatul athfal
  • taman kanak-kanakeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • raudatul athfaleducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Italian asilo
  • asiloeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Japanese 幼稚園
  • 幼稚園 (yōchien)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Korean 유치원, 유아원
  • 유치원 (yuchiwon)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • 유아원 (yuawon)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Latvian bērnudārzs
  • bērnudārzseducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Lithuanian vaikų darželis
  • vaikų darželiseducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Malay tadika, taman didikan kanak-kanak
  • tadikaeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • taman didikan kanak-kanakeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • tabikaeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • taman bimbingan kanak-kanakeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • kindergarteneducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Norwegian Bokmål barnehage
  • barnehageeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Polish przedszkole, dzieciniec
  • przedszkoleeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • dziecinieceducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • zerówkathe elementary school grade before first grade
Portuguese jardim de infância, parquinho
  • jardim de infânciaeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • parquinhoeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • infantárioeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • jardimthe elementary school grade before first grade
  • parquinhothe elementary school grade before first grade
Punjabi ਕਿੰਡਰਗਾਰਟਨ
  • ਕਿੰਡਰਗਾਰਟਨ (kiṇḍragārṭan)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Romanian grădiniță, grădiniță de copii
  • grădinițăeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • grădiniță de copiieducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Russian де́тский сад, детса́д
  • де́тский сад (détskij sad)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • детса́д (detsád)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • детса́дик (detsádik)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • де́тский са́дик (détskij sádik)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • сад (sad)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • са́дик (sádik)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Slovak materská škola
  • materská školaeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Spanish parvulario, jardín infantil
  • parvularioeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • jardín infantileducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • jardín de infanciaeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • jardín de infanteseducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • jardín de niñoseducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • kindergarteneducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • kínderthe elementary school grade before first grade
  • preescolarthe elementary school grade before first grade
Swahili shule ya chekechea
  • shule ya chekecheaeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Swedish daghem, dagis
  • daghemeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • dagiseducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • förskolaeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • lekiseducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • lekskolaeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Thai โรงเรียนอนุบาล
  • โรงเรียนอนุบาล (roong-riian-à-nú-baan)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Turkish anaokulu, anasınıfı
  • anaokulueducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • anasınıfıthe elementary school grade before first grade
Ukrainian дитя́чий сад, дитя́чий садо́к
  • дитя́чий сад (dytjáčyj sad)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • дитя́чий садо́к (dytjáčyj sadók)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • дитсадо́к (dytsadók)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Urdu کِنْڈَرْگارْٹَن, کودکستاں
  • کِنْڈَرْگارْٹَن (kinḍargārṭan)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • کودکستاں (kaudakistā̃)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • پرورش گاہ (parvariś-gāh)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • پرورش خانہ (parvariś-xāna)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Vietnamese mẫu giáo, nhà trẻ
  • mẫu giáoeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • nhà trẻeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
  • vườn trẻeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Welsh meithrinfa
  • meithrinfaeducational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6
Yiddish קינדערגאָרטן
  • קינדערגאָרטן (kindergortn)educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with kindergarten

bartoncartonspartantartandisheartenhearten
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

kindergarten. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kindergarten

MLA

“kindergarten.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kindergarten. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kindergarten,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kindergarten.

Source: kindergarten on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.