Japanese word

総理

Pronunciation

Romajisōri

Meaning

  • nounprime minister

Example

総理は今日テレビに出ます。sō ri wa kyō te re bi ni de ma su

The prime minister appears on TV today.

Illustration for 総理 (prime minister)

More examples

ニュースで総理の会見を見ました。nyū su de sō ri no kai ken o mi ma shi ta

I watched the prime minister's press conference on the news.

Core concept

Describes the person at the head of a cabinet who coordinates the country's government.

Common phrases

  • 総理になるsō ri ni na ru

    become prime minister

  • 総理の会見sō ri no kai ken

    the prime minister's press conference

  • 総理の発言sō ri no hatsu gen

    the prime minister's statement

Similar words

首相shushō: The head of a national government and cabinet.
内閣総理大臣naikakusōridaijin: The formal constitutional title for Japan's head of government.

Definition in Japanese

内閣の首長として国の政治と行政を取りまとめる者。nai kaku no shu chō to shi te kuni no sei ji to gyō sei o to ri ma to me ru mono

Word origin

総理 (sōri) combines 総 (sō, "whole") with 理 (ri, "order"), expressing the idea of overseeing affairs; it is widely used as a short form of 総理大臣 (sōridaijin).

Usage tips

  • In news and everyday talk about politics, 総理 (sōri) often refers to the current officeholder rather than to the government as an institution.

Word lists with this word