領りょう事じ

りょ

う

じ

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

Refers to a government official stationed in a foreign city to assist and protect citizens and business interests. Not to be confused with 大使 (ambassador).

彼かれは在ざいニューヨーク日本にほん国こく総そう領りょう事じ館かんの領りょう事じです

。

He is a consul at the Consulate-General of Japan in New York.

領りょう事じに相そう談だんしてビザの手て続つづきを進すすめた。

I consulted the consul and proceeded with the visa application.

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉に領りょう事じを派は遣けんするto dispatch a consul to a place
政せい府ふは上海しゃんはいに領りょう事じを派は遣けんした。
The government dispatched a consul to Shanghai.
〈人ひと〉が領りょう事じに任にん命めいされるfor someone to be appointed as consul
彼かれは先せん月げつ、領りょう事じに任にん命めいされた。
He was appointed consul last month.

Kanji

領jurisdiction, dominion, territory
事matter, thing, fact

Related words

弁べん務む官かん
領事 is a modern consul who protects citizens' interests abroad, while 弁務官 is a historical commissioner with broader administrative or colonial authority.
外がい交こう官かんN2
領事 handles consular duties such as issuing visas and assisting citizens abroad, whereas 外交官 broadly covers all diplomatic officials.

Don't confuse with

大たい使しN3
大使 is an ambassador, the top-ranking diplomatic representative to a country, while 領事 is a consul handling citizen services in a specific city.
総そう領りょう事じ
領事 is a regular consul, a lower diplomatic rank than 総領事, which heads a larger consulate general.

Word family

Etymology

From Chinese 領事 (lǐngshì), composed of 領 'jurisdiction, territory' and 事 'affairs, matters'. The term was adopted into Japanese with the same meaning.

代だい理り領りょう事じ

acting consul

名めい誉よ領りょう事じ

honorary consul

領りょう事じ事じ務む所しょ

consular office; consulate