裁判官
saibankan[sa̠ibã̠ŋkã̠ɴ]
The English phrase 'judge' (referring to a public judicial official) is translated into Japanese as 裁判官 (saibankan). If unsure, use 裁判官. Wiktionary also lists 法官 (hōkan).
Meaning: public judicial official (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 裁判官 | saibankan | [sa̠ibã̠ŋkã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
| 法官 | hōkan | [ho̞ːkã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
How do you pronounce it?
saibankan
When do people say it?
When addressing someone by name, adding -sama after the name is a respectful way to address them.
Did you know?
- In Japan, the role of a judge can be supplemented by 裁判員 ('lay judges'), ordinary citizens who decide on the verdict and sentence in certain serious criminal cases.
- The word 'saiban' (trial) itself comes from the characters for 'cut' and 'decision', suggesting a literal 'cutting' of a dispute into a final result.
- In Japanese legal settings, you would never address a judge as 裁判官 directly, as it can sound like you are labeling their profession rather than addressing them as a person.
Examples in context
- 裁判官は彼に死刑を宣告した。The judge condemned him to death.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 裁判官 in the context of a death sentence.Tatoeba #170255 by tommy__san, translation #244229 by CK
- 裁判官は原告に不利な判決を下した。The judge decided against the plaintiff.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 裁判官 in the context of a legal ruling.Tatoeba #170258 by bunbuku, translation #244226 by CK
- 裁判官はついうっかり笑ってしまった。The judge laughed in spite of himself.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 裁判官 in a narrative sentence.Tatoeba #170259 by small_snow, translation #244225 by CK
- 田中裁判官Judge Tanaka
- 田中裁判官様Judge Tanaka (even more respectful)
- 彼は裁判官になるために勉強しています。He is studying to become a judge.
- 私は田中裁判官のお話を聞きました。I heard Judge Tanaka's story.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are discussing Kenta's career goals.
- 健太 Kenta将来は裁判官になりたいです。Shourai wa saibankan ni naritai desu.I want to be a judge in the future.
- 美咲 Misakiそれはすごい目標ですね。Sore wa sugoi mokuhyou desu ne.That is an amazing goal.
- 健太 Kenta公正な裁判官になりたいです。Kousei na saibankan ni naritai desu.I want to be a fair judge.
- 美咲 Misaki健太くんならできそうですね。Kenta-kun nara dekisou desu ne.I think you can do it, Kenta.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “judge” translations and entries 裁判官, 法官, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
