How to say "legal" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 法的ほうてきna-adjectiveCovers the 'relating to law' sense: what English calls legal problems, legal grounds, or legal measures — matters viewed from the standpoint of the law, not the question of whether something is permitted.
- 法定ほうていno-adjectiveMeans fixed or designated by statute rather than simply 'legal': use it for things the law lays down specifically, such as ages, rates, or holidays; it typically comes straight before the noun.
- 合法ごうほうna-adjective, no-adjectiveThe plain word for permitted by law: use it to state whether an act, product, or practice is legal or not; its direct opposite is 違法, 'illegal'.
- 適法てきほうna-adjective, no-adjectiveLawful in the sense of conforming to legal requirements: it suits legal or official discussion of whether an act or procedure complies with the law.
- 合法的ごうほうてきna-adjectiveThe adjectival counterpart of 合法: it describes acts, means, or conduct as lawful and legitimate, and it can carry the added nuance of law-abiding, of staying within the law.
Pick by sense: use 法的 for law-related matters, 法定 for what statute fixes, 合法 or 合法的 for what the law permits, and 適法 for acts judged to conform to legal requirements.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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