法律事務所 / 法律事务所
fǎlǜ shìwùsuǒ
The English phrase "law firm" is translated into Chinese as 法律事務所 / 法律事务所 (fǎlǜ shìwùsuǒ). If unsure, use 法律事務所 / 法律事务所. Wiktionary also lists 律師事務所 / 律师事务所 (lǜshī shìwùsuǒ) and 律所 (lǜsuǒ).
Meaning: business formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 法律事務所 / 法律事务所 | fǎlǜ shìwùsuǒ | |
| 律師事務所 / 律师事务所 | lǜshī shìwùsuǒ | |
| 律所 | lǜsuǒ | short form |
The term refers to a business formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 律師事務所 / 律师事务所 is composed of 律師 (lawyer) and 事務所 (office, firm or agency).
Which one should you use?
律所 is a common shorthand used in professional conversation and media, similar to saying "law firm" instead of the full title.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
律师事务所 is a formal way to say law firm in Mainland China, whereas 律所 is an informal shorthand used in professional settings.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The use of 事務所 (traditional characters) is standard in Taiwan, while 事务所 (simplified characters) is used in Mainland China.
How do you pronounce it?
fǎlǜ shìwùsuǒ
Did you know?
- The character 律 in 律所 originally referred to a bamboo flute, as the ancient Chinese used bamboo pipes of different lengths to define musical pitch and later used the word for 'law' as a metaphor for standard measures.
- In professional circles, lawyers often refer to the size of a 律所 by 'tiers' or 'lines', such as 红圈 ('Red Circle') for the most elite international firms in China.
- While 律所 is used for a firm, a lawyer in China often refers to their specific workplace as their 平台 ('platform'), reflecting a view of the firm as a resource for their individual practice.
Example sentences for Chinese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “law firm” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
