How to say "law" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 法ほうnoun, noun (suffix)The general word for law, covering law as an abstract concept or system as well as individual acts; it can also mean a principle, and it is the word used in the names of statutes.
- 法律ほうりつnounLaw in the concrete sense: statutes, legislation, and the legal system as a whole — the word for contexts like obeying the law or breaking the law.
- 法則ほうそくnounLaw in the scientific or mathematical sense: a law of nature, a general rule describing how things regularly happen. It does not refer to statutes or the legal system.
- 定めさだめnounA formal, somewhat literary noun for what has been laid down — rules, regulations, or provisions, as in legal texts. For law in general it is seldom the word you want.
- 法学ほうがくnounLaw as an academic subject: the study of law, jurisprudence. Use it when 'law' means the discipline, as in studying law at a university, not for individual rules or statutes.
Use 法律 for law as statutes and the legal system, 法 for law as an abstract concept or individual act, 法則 for laws of nature, 「定め」 for formal provisions, and 法学 for law as an academic subject.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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