心理学者
shinrigakusha[ɕĩn̺ɾʲiɡa̠kɯ̟̊ɕa̠]
The English word "psychologist" is translated into Japanese as 心理学者 (shinrigakusha).
心理学者 is a general term for professionals in the field.
Meaning: expert in the field of psychology (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
shinrigakusha
Did you know?
- The character 心 used in 心理学者 is a pictograph that originally represented the physical organ of the heart, which is still viewed as the seat of emotion in Japanese.
- Because 心理学者 sounds very academic, using it in a casual conversation about a friend's mental health might sound unnaturally formal or even slightly mocking.
- The term 心理学 was coined during the Meiji era as a translation for 'psychology', blending the concept of 'heart' or 'mind' 心 with the study of 'reason' 理.
Examples in context
- トムは医者じゃなくて心理学者だ。Tom is not an M.D. but a psychologist.This sentence is useful for distinguishing between a medical doctor and a 心理学者.Tatoeba #1698532 by mookeee, translation #1698529 by mookeee
- 最近、心理カウンセラーに相談していますLately, I've been consulting a psychologist.
- 心理学者の先生に相談しましたI consulted a psychologist.
- 彼は有名な心理学者です。Kare wa yuumeina shinrigakusha desu.He is a famous psychologist.
- 心理学者の研究はとても興味深いです。Shinrigakusha no kenkyuu wa totemo kyoumibukai desu.The psychologist's research is very interesting.
Example conversation
Yota and Yui are talking about their university majors.
- 結衣 Yui陽太くんは何を勉強しているの？Yōta-kun wa nani o benkyō shite iru no?Yota, what are you studying?
- 陽太 Yota心理学を勉強して、心理学者になりたいんだ。Shinrigaku o benkyō shite, shinrigakusha ni naritai nda.I'm studying psychology because I want to be a psychologist.
- 結衣 Yuiすごいね！難しい勉強じゃない？Sugoi ne! Muzukashii benkyō janai?That's amazing! Isn't it a difficult subject?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、でもとても面白いよ。Un, demo totemo omoshiroi yo.Yeah, but it's very interesting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “psychologist” translations and entries 心理学者, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
