専門
senmon[sẽ̞mːõ̞ɴ]
専門 (senmon) is the Japanese word for a field of study or a particular area of expertise.
Use 専門 to refer to a specialty or a specific area of knowledge. You can use the compound 専門分野 (senmon bun'ya) to specifically refer to a 'field of study' or 'specialized area'.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the kanji 専 (special/exclusive) and 門 (gate/door/sect), literally meaning a 'special gate' or a specialized field.
How do you pronounce it?
senmon
Did you know?
- The character 門 (mon), meaning 'gate', is used in Japanese to denote a school of thought or a family lineage, much like the English word 'sect' or 'house'.
- In Japanese professional introductions, someone might say 専門外です (senmon-gai desu) to politely signal that a question is outside their expertise and they cannot provide a reliable answer.
- While 専門 refers to a field of study, the word 専攻 (senkō) is used specifically for a student's 'major' in a university setting.
Examples in context
- 私は金融の専門家です。I am a finance expert.
- 彼の専門は法律です。His specialty is law.
- 彼女の専門分野は美術です。Her field of expertise is art.
- 私の専門分野はスポーツ心理学です。My field of expertise is sports psychology.
- ご専門は何ですか。What is your specialty?
- ご専門の分野でお力をお貸しください。Please lend us your strength in your field of expertise.
- 私の専門は歴史です。Watashi no senmon wa rekishi desu.My field of study is history.
- この分野の専門的な知識が必要です。Kono bunya no senmonteki na chishiki ga hitsuyō desu.Specialized knowledge in this field is necessary.
Example conversation
Two students are talking about their university studies.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔さんの専門は何ですか？Hiroto-san no senmon wa nan desu ka?Hiroto, what is your major?
- 大翔 Hiroto僕の専門は心理学です。Boku no senmon wa shinrigaku desu.My specialty is psychology.
- 美咲 Misakiすごいですね！難しい勉強ですよね。Sugoi desu ne! Muzukashii benkyou desu yo ne.That's amazing! It's a difficult subject, isn't it?
- 大翔 Hirotoはい、でもとても面白いです。Hai, demo totemo omoshiroi desu.Yes, but it is very interesting.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 専門, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
