How to say "dentist" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 歯科医師しかいしnounThe full professional term for a dentist as a licensed practitioner; you meet it in official documents, qualifications, and news or legal writing, while conversation favors 歯医者.
- 歯科医しかいnounA compact written word for a dentist as a professional; it largely overlaps with 歯科医師 and is at home in news reports and other prose, though in speech 歯医者 usually takes its place.たまたま彼女の夫は歯科医だった。↗It happened that her husband was a dentist.
- 歯医者はいしゃnounThe word of everyday conversation: what you say about your own dentist or a visit for a toothache. It also names the dental clinic itself, so 'going to the dentist' is expressed with it.
All three mean a dentist: use 歯科医師 for the licensed professional in official or written contexts, 歯科医 as the shorter written equivalent, and 歯医者 in everyday speech, where it also covers the dental clinic itself.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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