猟師
ryōshi[ɾʲo̞ːɕi]
The English word 'hunter' is translated into Japanese as 猟師 (ryōshi).
猟師 is the standard term used when referring to traditional or professional hunters in a realistic or historical context.
Meaning: person who hunts animals (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 猟 (ryō), meaning 'hunting' and 師 (shi), meaning 'master' or 'specialist'.
Which one should you use?
While 猟師 refers to a person whose profession or traditional role is hunting, the katakana loanword ハンター is often used in the context of video games, fantasy fiction or more modern/stylized settings. Additionally, if you want to describe someone who simply enjoys the hobby of hunting rather than a professional, you might use 狩り好きの人, which means 'a person who enjoys hunting'.
How do you pronounce it?
ryōshi
Did you know?
- Japan has a specific term 有害鳥獣駆除 for 'harmful bird and beast extermination', which describes the modern legal role of many 猟師 today.
- The character 師 in 猟師 is the same one used in 教師 (kyōshi) for 'teacher' or 医師 (ishi) for 'doctor', implying that a traditional hunter is viewed as a highly skilled specialist or master of their craft.
- While 猟師 refers to a professional, the word 狩人 (karyūdo) is often used in literature and myths to describe a more romantic or legendary figure of a hunter.
Examples in context
- 父は猟師です。My father's a hunter.This sentence is useful for identifying someone's profession using 猟師.Tatoeba #12593335 by small_snow, translation #9935791 by ddnktr
- その猟師は森の中深く入り込み、二度と帰らなかった。The hunter went deep into the forest, never to return.This sentence describes a hunter's movement into the forest using 猟師.Tatoeba #206215 by bunbuku, translation #43461 by CM
- 猟師は熊を撃った。The hunter shot a bear.This sentence describes a hunter shooting an animal using 猟師.Tatoeba #77901 by mookeee, translation #325817 by CK
- 私の友達は猟師です。My friend is a hunter.
- 彼はハンターとして有名です。He is famous as a hunter.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are talking about a documentary they watched.
- 結衣 Yuiあの猟師はとても上手ですね。Ano ryoushi wa totemo jouzu desu ne.That hunter is very skilled, isn't he?
- 健太 Kentaはい、彼はプロの猟師です。Hai, kare wa puro no ryoushi desu.Yes, he is a professional hunter.
- 結衣 Yui健太さんは猟師になりたいですか？Kenta-san wa ryoushi ni naritai desu ka?Kenta, do you want to become a hunter?
- 健太 Kentaいいえ、少し怖いです。Iie, sukoshi kowai desu.No, it's a little scary.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 猟師, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
