律師 / 律师
leot⁶ si¹
The English word "lawyer" is 律師 / 律师 (leot⁶ si¹) in Cantonese.
律師 / 律师 refers to a professional person qualified (as by a law degree or bar exam) and authorized to practice law as an attorney-at-law, solicitor, advocate, barrister or equivalent, i.e. represent parties in lawsuits or trials and give legal advice (noun).
Meaning: professional person qualified (as by a law degree or bar exam) and authorized to practice law as an attorney-at-law, solicitor, advocate, barrister or equivalent, i.e. represent parties in lawsuits or trials and give legal advice (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 律 (leot⁶), meaning law or rule and 師 (si¹), meaning master or professional.
Which one should you use?
While 律師 / 律师 is the standard term for a lawyer, 大律師 specifically refers to a barrister or a senior lawyer.
How do you pronounce it?
leot⁶ si¹
Did you know?
- The character 律 (leot⁶) functions as a bridge between the legal and the musical worlds. It is the same character used to describe the laws of rhythm and pitch in classical music, implying that both law and music follow strict, harmonious patterns.
- The character 師 in 律師 is the same one used for 'master' in the term 師傅 (si¹ fu⁶), which refers to skilled craftsmen like mechanics or chefs. However, you should never use 師傅 to address a lawyer, as it implies a manual laborer rather than a professional academic.
- The term 大律師 is not just a title of rank but a requirement for advocacy in certain High Court proceedings in Hong Kong, reflecting a colonial British legal legacy in the Cantonese language.
Examples in context
- 我的律師朋友將幫我處理這宗個案。My lawyer friend will handle this case for me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lawyer” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
