小学生

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 小学生(しょうがくせい) means an elementary school student.
• Basic usage: It depicts an elementary school student in a yellow hat crossing at a crosswalk.
  • 黄色い帽子をかぶった小学生が横断歩道を渡っている。

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Student and school
  • 小学校(しょうがっこう) is the school itself, while 小学生 is a person attending it. The final 校 or 生 changes what the word refers to.