How to say "physician" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 医者いしゃnounThe general, everyday word for a doctor; use it whenever 'physician' just means a medical doctor in ordinary conversation, as in talking about going to see one.
- 医師いしnounThe professional term for a doctor, used in official and written contexts such as documents, credentials and news reports; it refers to the same person as 医者 but sounds more professional.
- 内科医ないかいnounThe word for 'physician' in the narrow sense: a doctor specializing in internal medicine, an internist. Use it when the specialty or the contrast with a surgeon matters, not for doctors in general.
Use 医者 for a doctor in everyday conversation, 医師 in official or professional contexts, and 内科医 only when 'physician' means a specialist in internal medicine, as opposed to a surgeon.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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