首しゅ班はん

しゅ

は

ん

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

noun

head; leader; prime minister

Formal term for the head of a cabinet or government; most commonly refers to the prime minister in political contexts.

首しゅ班はん指し名めい選せん挙きょが行おこなわれた。
The election to designate the prime minister was held.
彼かれは内ない閣かくの首しゅ班はんとして強つよいリーダーシップを発はっ揮きした。
He demonstrated strong leadership as the head of the cabinet.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉を首しゅ班はんとする内ない閣かくa cabinet headed by 〈person〉
彼かれを首しゅ班はんとする新しん内ない閣かくが発ほっ足そくした。
A new cabinet headed by him was formed.
〈人ひと〉が首しゅ班はんに指し名めいされるfor 〈person〉 to be nominated as head of government
国こっ会かいで首しゅ相しょうが首しゅ班はんに指し名めいされた。
The prime minister was nominated as head of government in the Diet.

Kanji

首neck, counter for songs and poems
班squad, corps, unit

Related words

首しゅ相しょうN4
首相 is the everyday, common word for prime minister, while 首班 is a more formal, legal/parliamentary term for the head of a cabinet.
総そう理りN1
総理 is a common shortened title for the prime minister used in everyday and media contexts, whereas 首班 is a formal, legalistic term for the same position.

Don't confuse with

元げん首しゅN1
元首 refers to the head of state (e.g. an emperor or president), while 首班 refers specifically to the head of the cabinet/government, so the two are not interchangeable.

Word family

首しゅ班はん指し名めい
Diet nomination of the prime minister

Etymology

Compound of 首 (head, chief) and 班 (group, squad), literally 'head of a group'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has been used in Japanese political vocabulary to refer to the head of a cabinet.