How to say "judge" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- nounThe loanword. It covers judges who score or decide outcomes, as in sport or a contest; for a judge in a court of law, 判事 is the word.
- 裁くさばくgodan verb, transitive verbThe verb 'to judge': to try a case in court, or to sit in judgement on what someone has done. It expresses the action of judging rather than naming the person.
- 判事はんじnounA judge of a court of law: the official who presides over trials. When English 'judge' means the person on the bench in a courtroom, this is the word you want.
- 判官はんがんnounA judge or magistrate. For the judge presiding in a courtroom it is seldom the word you want — that role belongs to 判事 — so it is best kept for the magistrate sense.
- 選者せんじゃnounA judge of a competition or award: one of the panel who selects the winners, the 'selector' side of its meaning. It is not a word for a court judge.
判事 is a court judge and 「裁く」 the verb for trying a case or sitting in judgement; 「ジャッジ」 is the loanword for judges who score or decide, 選者 a competition judge, and 判官 a marginal magistrate option.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
- ジャッジjudge
- 裁くさばくto judge
- 判事はんじjudge
- 判官はんがんjudge
- 選者せんじゃjudge
- 司直しちょくjudge
- 裁判官さいばんかんjudge
- 察するさっするto guess
- 律するりっするto judge (on the basis of)
- 法官ほうかんjudge
- 士師ししjudge (of ancient China)
- 弾正だんじょうjudge (of the Imperial Prosecuting and Investigating Office)
- 判ずるはんずるto judge
- 裁判人さいばんにんjudge
- 判じるはんじるto judge
- 判者はんじゃjudge (of literary contests)
- 鑑定人かんていにんjudge
- 鑑定家かんていかjudge
- 審判者しんぱんしゃjudge
- 審査員しんさいんexaminer
- 鑑識家かんしきかconnoisseur
- 察すさっすto guess
- 思うおもうto judge
- 認めるみとめるto deem
- 見立てるみたてるto judge
- みるto examine
- 考えるかんがえるto think (that)
- にらむto estimate
- 断ずるだんずるto judge
- 断じるだんじるto judge
- 踏むふむto estimate
- 審判しんぱんreferee
See also
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