博士
hakushi[ha̠kɯ̟̊ɕi]
The English abbreviation "dr." is translated into Japanese as 博士 (hakushi).
博士 is used to denote someone who has earned a PhD. In formal academic contexts, such as official documents or formal introductions, 博士 is the standard way to denote a person's status as a doctor.
Which one should you use?
While 博士 refers specifically to an academic PhD, the honorific 先生 is used to address medical doctors in a professional setting.
How do you pronounce it?
hakushi
Did you know?
- In popular culture, the word 博士 is often used to describe a 'mad scientist' or a quirky genius, regardless of whether they have a formal degree.
- In Japanese, the title 博士 is typically placed after the person's name, whereas in English 'Dr.' is placed before it.
- The term 博士 is a direct loan from Middle Chinese, where it originally served as an official designation for certain learned personnel.
Examples in context
- 鈴木先生Dr. Suzuki
- 山本先生Dr. Yamamoto
- 田中先生Dr. Tanaka
- 佐藤博士Dr. Sato
- 石田博士Dr. Ishida
- 中村博士Dr. Nakamura
- 彼は経済学の博士です。Kare wa keizaigaku no hakase desu.He is a doctor of economics.
- 彼女は文学博士になりました。Kanojo wa bungaku hakase ni narimashita.She became a PhD in literature.
- あの博士の論文はすごいです。Ano hakase no ronbun wa sugoi desu.That doctor's thesis is amazing.
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are talking about a guest lecturer at their university.
- 結衣 Yui今日の講師は誰ですか？Kyō no kōshi wa dare desu ka?Who is today's lecturer?
- 健太 Kenta田中博士が来ますよ。Tanaka hakase ga kimasu yo.Dr. Tanaka is coming.
- 結衣 Yui有名な博士ですね。Yūmei na hakase desu ne.He is a famous doctor.
- 健太 Kentaはい、とてもすごいです。Hai, totemo sugoi desu.Yes, he is amazing.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 博士, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 博士, CC BY-SA 4.0.
