学 knowledge

(mohawk) + 子 (child)
★★★★★
8 strokes

Onyomi

GAKU

Mnemonic

The mohican child had a major knowledge of punk, and that was how he stopped being a square and GOT COOL.

Kunyomi

まな*ぶ 2 meanings: to learn something from a teacher. Also, to learn one random fact (not a whole subject). Unlike 勉強、 you can't 学ぶ by yourself.
★★★★★

Jukugo

学生(がくせい)

student ★★★★★
学 (knowledge) + 生 (life / birth) = 学生 (student)

学校(がっこう)

school ★★★★★
学 (knowledge) + 校 (school) = 学校 (school)

大学(だいがく)

college. ★★★★★
大 (big) + 学 (knowledge) = 大学 (college.)

科学(かがく)

science ★★★☆☆
科 (science) + 学 (knowledge) = 科学 (science)

XXX 学(がく)

xxx-ology ★★★☆☆ SUF

SUFFIX meaning, the science of XXX. basically it means '-ology.'

文学(ぶんがく)

literature ★★☆☆☆
文 (culture/ sentence) + 学 (knowledge) = 文学 (literature)

科学者(かがくしゃ)

scientist ★★☆☆☆
科学 (science) + 者 (professional) = 科学者 (scientist)

奨学金(しょうがくきん)

scholarship money ★☆☆☆☆
学 (knowledge) + 金 (gold) = 奨学金 (scholarship money)

雑学(ざつがく)

miscellaneous knowledge ☆☆☆☆☆
雑 (miscellaneous , random) + 学 (knowledge) = 雑学 (miscellaneous knowledge)

"miscellaneous knowledge" - the best section to find cheap, weird books at BOOK OFF.

Lookalikes

Meaning Hint Radical
字 letter CHILD 子
宇 cosmos THOUSAND 千
学 knowledge MOHICAN

The CHILD can only write one letter.

There's a THOUSAND cosmoses in string theory.
The MOHICAN punker has a knowledge of @narchy.

Synonyms

confucianism
儒学    儒教   
learn
勉強    学ぶ    習う    自習   
student
弟子    学生    生徒    教徒