noun
Refers to law or regulation, especially in the context of ancient East Asian criminal codes. In modern usage, often appears in compounds like 法律 (ほうりつ) or 規律 (きりつ).
律によって罰せられる。
Punished according to the law.
noun
vinaya; monastic rules
Buddhist term for the rules governing the monastic community.
僧侶は律を守らなければならない。
Monks must observe the vinaya.
noun
Ritsu school
Abbreviation of 律宗 (Risshū), a school of Buddhism focused on monastic discipline.
See also: 律宗
律は日本仏教の宗派の一つです。
The Ritsu school is one of the sects of Japanese Buddhism.
noun
lüshi; regulated verse
Abbreviation of 律詩 (りっし), a style of classical Chinese poetry with strict tonal and structural rules.
See also: 律詩
唐代の詩人は律を多く作った。
Tang dynasty poets composed many lüshi.
noun
musical pitch
Refers to pitch in music. Also read as りち in some contexts.
この楽器は律が正確だ。
This instrument has accurate pitch.
noun
odd-numbered notes of ancient chromatic scale
In ancient Chinese music theory, the six odd-numbered notes (律) of the twelve-note chromatic scale, contrasted with the even-numbered 呂 (りょ).
十二律のうち、奇数番目を律という。
Among the twelve pitches, the odd-numbered ones are called ritsu.
noun
Japanese gagaku scale; ritsu scale
Abbreviation of 律旋 (りっせん), a seven-tone scale used in gagaku, similar to the Dorian mode.
See also: 律旋
雅楽では律旋が使われる。
The ritsu scale is used in gagaku.
noun, noun, used as a suffix, counter
step; semitone
In traditional Eastern music, a step corresponding to a Western semitone. Can be used as a suffix or counter.
この音階は十二律から成る。
This scale consists of twelve steps.
法律 is the common modern word for 'law' in a legal sense, while 律 alone is more archaic or technical.
規律 refers to discipline or order, often in a group or personal context, whereas 律 is a broader term for law or regulation.
In ancient music theory, 呂 refers to the even-numbered notes of the chromatic scale, complementing 律.
The kanji 律 originally depicted a hand holding a writing brush, symbolizing the act of writing down laws. It came to mean 'law, rule, regulation' and was extended to musical pitch and step due to the idea of standardization.