博はく士し

は

く

し

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

Refers to a person who holds a doctoral degree, or the degree itself. Commonly used as a title (e.g., 田中博士) or suffix (e.g., 文学博士).

彼かれは去きょ年ねん、博はく士し号ごうを取しゅ得とくした。
He earned his PhD last year.
田た中なか博はく士しはこの分ぶん野やの権けん威いです。
Dr. Tanaka is an authority in this field.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉博はく士しused as a title after a name for someone holding a doctorate
田た中なか博はく士しは新あたらしい薬くすりを開かい発はつした。
Dr. Tanaka developed a new medicine.
博はく士し号ごうを取とるto earn a doctoral degree
彼かれは三さん十じゅっ歳さいで博はく士し号ごうを取とった。
He earned his PhD at the age of thirty.
〜博はく士しinformal suffix meaning 'expert' or 'know-it-all' about a topic
彼かれは昆こん虫ちゅう博はく士しと呼よばれている。
He's known as the insect expert.

Kanji

博Dr., command, esteem
士gentleman, scholar, samurai

Related words

博はく
博士 is the full standalone word for a doctorate or doctor, while 博 is the short suffix element used in abbreviated compounds like 理博 and 工博.
学がく士しN1
学士 denotes a bachelor's degree, whereas 博士 is the doctorate, the highest academic degree above 学士 and 修士.

Politeness

博士はかせplainN3
博士 (はくし) is the formal, official reading used for actual doctoral titles and academic documents, while 博士 (はかせ) is the everyday, colloquial reading used in speech.

Don't confuse with

医い者しゃN5
博士 is an academic title for someone with a doctoral degree, while 医者 specifically means a medical doctor who treats patients.
修しゅう士しN1
博士 is a doctoral degree (Ph.D.), one level above 修士, and learners often mix up which term corresponds to which degree.

Counted with

人にん
博士 as a person can be counted with 人, e.g. 博士が二人いる (there are two PhDs).
名めいN2
In formal contexts, holders of a 博士 degree are counted with the more polite 名 rather than casual 人.

Word family

博はく士し号ごう
doctorate; PhD; doctoral degree
博はく士し課か程てい
doctoral course; PhD program
哲てつ学がく博はく士し
Doctor of Philosophy; PhD
博はく士し研けん究きゅう員いん
postdoctoral researcher; postdoc

Etymology

From Chinese 博士 (bóshì), originally meaning 'broad scholar' or 'erudite person'. The modern sense of a doctoral degree is a later development.