How do you say "fireman" in Japanese?

消防士

shōbōshi

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "fireman" is 消防士 (shōbōshi).

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Pronunciation

消防士 is written using kanji. Romanised as shōbōshi, it sounds roughly like "shoh-boh-shee" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Shōbōshi (消防士) combines sho (extinguish), bo (prevent), and shi (expert). The shi (士) ending marks firefighting as a licensed profession requiring formal training.

Example sentence

その消防士は長年の経験があります。

Sono shōbōshi wa naganen no keiken ga arimasu.

That fireman has many years of experience.

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How to remember 消防士

Shōbō means firefighting and shi means expert. A shōbōshi is an expert at extinguishing fires and preventing disasters.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese nouns.

Questions about 消防士

How do you pronounce 消防士?

消防士 is romanised as shōbōshi. Say it roughly like "shoh-boh-shee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 消防士 formal or casual?

消防士 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 消防士 written in Japanese?

消防士 is written using kanji. Shōbōshi (消防士) combines sho (extinguish), bo (prevent), and shi (expert).

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Fireman" in other languages

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