How to say "welfare" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 福祉ふくしnounThe main word for welfare in the sense of social welfare and well-being, covering welfare programs, services, and policy. Use this for talking about social welfare or the welfare of groups and society.
- 厚生こうせいnounCovers welfare in the public or social sense, as in public welfare administration. It appears chiefly in institutional and governmental contexts rather than in everyday talk about people's welfare.
- 福利ふくりnounRefers to welfare in the sense of benefits and well-being provisions, typically in workplace or organizational contexts such as employee welfare. It is narrower than 福祉 and not the general word for welfare policy.
- 安否あんぴnounMeans welfare only in the sense of a person's safety and well-being, as in inquiring whether someone is safe or well after a disaster. This is the word for asking after someone's welfare, not for social welfare.
- noun, adverbMatches welfare only loosely, in the sense of someone's good, benefit, or advantage. It is a general everyday word for doing something for a person's sake, and is seldom the word you want for welfare itself.
Use 福祉 for social welfare and well-being systems, 厚生 for public welfare, 福利 for benefits and welfare provisions, 安否 for someone's safety and well-being, and 「ため」 for someone's good or benefit.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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