How to Say "As" in Japanese - How To Say Guide

として

to shite[to̞ ɕi̥te̞]

In Japanese, 'as' can be expressed as として (to shite) when meaning 'in the role of'.

The phrase として is used to describe someone's official position or role.

Meaning: In the role of (prep)

What does it mean word for word?

Together, they literally mean 'doing as' or 'acting as'.

While として means 'in the role of', it should not be confused with much more common words for 'as' used in comparisons, such as のほどに, のほど or と同じように.

The phrase として follows a noun directly without the need for a particle like が or を.

to shite

If you use として to describe your relationship with someone, it can unintentionally create a sense of distance. It implies you are interacting purely within the bounds of a specific role, such as 'as a teacher', rather than as a person.
The phrase として is actually a contraction of the verb とする, which literally means 'to decide' or 'to treat as'.
When describing a hobby or a side-job, Japanese speakers often use として to distinguish their 'official' identity from their 'private' identity.

友達として好きよ。
I like you as a friend.
This sentence shows how to use として to express a personal feeling toward someone in the role of a friend.
Tatoeba #11977679 by small_snow, translation #2377626 by CK
彼は医者として有名だ。
He is famous as a doctor.
This sentence uses として to describe someone's fame in the role of a doctor.
Tatoeba #110065 by bunbuku, translation #293623 by CK
彼女は歌手として有名だ。
As a singer, she's well known.
This sentence uses として to state someone's fame in the role of a singer.
Tatoeba #90817 by bunbuku, translation #1286917 by CK
私は医者として働いています。
I work as a doctor.
私は姉と同じようにピアノを練習しています。
I practice the piano as my sister does.
彼の英語が上達するにつれて、自信がついてきました。
As his English improved, his confidence grew.
今日の天気は夏って感じだね。
The weather today feels like summer, doesn't it?
彼の話し方は野球選手みたいな感じがする。
The way he speaks gives me a feeling like that of a baseball player.
216 more sentences on Tatoeba

Ren and Himari are talking about their new jobs.

蓮 Ren

新しい仕事はどう？
Atarashii shigoto wa dou?
How is your new job?
陽葵 Himari

今は先生として働いています。
Ima wa sensei to shite hataraite imasu.
I am working as a teacher now.
蓮 Ren

すごいね！陽葵にぴったりだ。
Sugoi ne! Himari ni pittari da.
That's great! It suits you perfectly, Himari.
陽葵 Himari

ありがとう。蓮はどうなの？
Arigatou. Ren wa dou nano?
Thank you. How about you, Ren?

Sources

Wiktionary, “as” translations and entries として, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries として, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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