What does it mean word for word?
The word 医者 is composed of the kanji 医 (medicine) and 者 (person).
Which one should you use?
While 医者 refers to the profession of a doctor, 先生 is the respectful title used when addressing a doctor directly or referring to them in conversation. In contrast to the common 医者, the term 医師 is a professional term used primarily in written language, official documents or news reports.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
医者 is commonly used in informal situations and among friends. For a more polite and widely-used way to say doctor, you can use お医者さん. The term 医師 is a formal term used in official documents or medical contexts. Additionally, the loanword ドクター is frequently used in modern, casual or pop-culture contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
isha
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using 医者 as a direct address or title for a doctor, as it can sound blunt or even derogatory in certain contexts. Instead, use the respectful title 先生 when speaking to them.
When do people say it?
The term 先生 is used to show respect to professionals, including doctors.
Did you know?
- In Japan, you might call your doctor 先生 (sensei), which is the same title used for teachers, professors, and lawyers.
- The kanji 医 in 医者 originally comes from the Chinese character for medicine, which shares a conceptual root with the idea of healing through ritual or craft.
- The kanji 医 used in 医者 is also the root for the word 医院, which refers to a small private clinic rather than a large hospital.
Examples in context
- 彼は医者だ。He is a doctor.This sentence is useful for stating that someone is a doctor using 医者.Tatoeba #110076 by bunbuku, translation #293611 by CK
- 父は医者です。My father is a doctor.This sentence is useful for stating that one's father is a doctor using 医者.Tatoeba #84640 by bunbuku, translation #251657 by CK
- 私は医者です。I'm a doctor.This sentence is useful for stating that the speaker is a doctor using 医者.Tatoeba #158511 by tommy_san, translation #256018 by CK
- 佐藤先生Sato Sensei
- お医者さんの予約をお願いしたいのですがI would like to make a doctor's appointment, please.
- すみません、この薬の副作用について教えてくださいExcuse me, could you please tell me about the side effects of this medication?
- 339 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiroto and Misaki are talking about their future dreams.
- 大翔 Hiroto将来、僕は医者になりたい。Shourai, boku wa isha ni naritai.I want to be a doctor in the future.
- 美咲 Misakiすごいね！勉強が大変そう。Sugoi ne! Benkyou ga taihen sou.That's amazing! The studying seems hard.
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、でも良い医者になりたいんだ。Un, demo yoi isha ni naritai nda.Yeah, but I want to be a good doctor.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔ならきっとなれるよ。Hiroto nara kitto nareru yo.I'm sure you can do it, Hiroto.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 医者, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 医者, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
