Usage patterns 〈 人ひと 〉 が 首しゅ 相しょう に 就しゅう 任にん する for someone to take office as prime minister
The new party leader took office as prime minister.
首しゅ 相しょう を 辞じ 任にん する to resign as prime minister
The prime minister resigned for health reasons.
首しゅ 相しょう が 〈 場ば 所しょ 〉 を 訪ほう 問もん する for the prime minister to visit a place
The prime minister is scheduled to visit the United States.
首しゅ 相しょう の 座ざ を 退しりぞ く to step down from the position of prime minister
He finally stepped down from the position of prime minister.
Kanji 首 neck, counter for songs and poems 相 inter-, mutual, together Related words· 8 総理大臣 is the full, formal title of Japan's prime minister, while 首相 is the shorter term commonly used in news and everyday speech.
首相 is the everyday news term for prime minister, while 総理 is the abbreviation tied to Japan's official title 内閣総理大臣 .
首相 is the standard, everyday word for 'prime minister' in modern Japanese news, while 宰相 has a more formal, literary, or historical tone.
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.
Show 4 more Show fewer 首相 is the common, everyday word for prime minister used in news and casual speech, while 内閣総理大臣 is the full formal constitutional title.
首相 means the prime minister, the head of government, while 大臣 refers to any cabinet minister who may or may not be the top leader.
首相 is the standard Japanese term for prime minister, while ＰＭ is a rarer abbreviation seen mostly in headlines.
首相 is the head of government who runs day-to-day politics, while 元首 is the formal head of state, and the two roles are not always held by the same person.
Don't confuse with· 5 首相 is the head of government in a parliamentary system, whereas 大統領 is the head of state in a presidential system, so learners often confuse the two titles.
首相 specifically means 'prime minister' (the head of national government), while 首長 is a general term usually used for heads of local government or organizations; the shared kanji 首 causes confusion.
主席 is a general term for a head or chairman of an organization or state, while 首相 specifically means the prime minister of a parliamentary government.
Show 2 more Show fewer 首相 means prime minister, not foreign minister, though both titles end in 相 and are easily confused in reading.
党首 is the leader of a political party, while 首相 is the head of government (prime minister); a party leader only becomes 首相 if their party is in power.
Word family· 11 former prime minister; former premier; former chancellor
former prime minister; ex-premier
deputy prime minister; vice prime minister
new prime minister
incoming prime minister; prime minister-designate
Show 5 more Show fewer federal chancellor
prime minister's official residence
nomination for prime minister; prime ministerial nomination
direct election of the prime minister by popular vote
prime minister concurrently serving as foreign minister
See all 11 in Explore →
Written forms 首しゅ 相しょう Usage 100%
Standard kanji form; high-frequency news and general term.
シュショウ Usage <1%
Etymology From Middle Chinese 首相 (MC *sjuw sjangX), literally 'chief minister'. The term was adopted into Japanese with the same meaning.
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