弁護士

Japanese

Kanji in this term
弁	護	士
べん Grade: 5	ご Grade: 5	し Grade: 5
on’yomi

Alternative spelling
辯護士 (kyūjitai)

Noun

弁(べん)護(ご)士(し) • (bengoshi) 

1. (law) a lawyer; an attorney

   ニューヨーク弁護士(べんごし)

   Nyūyōku bengoshi

   attorney admitted in New York

   外(がい)国(こく)法(ほう)事務(じむ)弁護士(べんごし)

   gaikokuhō jimu bengoshi

   foreign legal consultant; foreign attorney admitted to the Japanese bar

Usage notes

In Japan, only a person who has passed the Japanese bar examination may describe themselves as a 弁護士(べんごし) (bengoshi) without further qualification. Lawyers licensed in other countries generally add the name of their qualifying jurisdiction as a prefix.

Descendants

• → Hakka: 辯護士／辩护士 (phien-fu-sṳ)
• → Jeju: 벤호사 (benhosa)
• → Korean: 변호사 (byeonhosa)
• → Min Nan: 辯護士／辩护士 (piān-hō͘-sū, piǎn-hō͘-sǐr)
• → Mandarin: (Taiwan, dated) 辯護士／辩护士 (biànhùshì)

References

• 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.