How to say "license" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 免許めんきょnoun, suru verb, transitive verbCovers an official license or permit granted by a public authority — the sense of 'license' in a driver's license or similar qualifications — and can also mean permission in a general sense.
- nounThe loanword, used mainly for commercial and technical licenses such as software licenses or licensing agreements, where permission comes by contract rather than from a government permit.
- 認可にんかnoun, suru verb, transitive verbPrimarily means official approval or authorization by an authority; for 'license' as a document or permit it is seldom the word you want — it names the act of approving, not the license itself.
- 免状めんじょうnounCovers a license or certificate as a document, often a certificate of qualification; it points to the paper credential itself rather than the permission, so it is not the default choice for 'license' generally.
- 免許証めんきょしょうnounThe word for the physical license document or card that proves a granted license, such as a driver's license; use it when you mean the credential itself rather than the license in the abstract.
Use 免許 for official licenses and permits generally, 免許証 for the physical document or card, 免状 for certificate-style licenses, 「ライセンス」 for commercial or software licensing, and 認可 for official approval rather than a license document.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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