通訳者

通訳者

Japanese

Kanji in this term
通	訳	者
つう Grade: 2	やく Grade: 6	しゃ Grade: 3
on’yomi

Alternative spelling
通譯者 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

Compound of 通訳 (tsūyaku, “interpretation”) +‎ 者 (-sha, “-er, someone who does something”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [t͡sɨᵝːja̠kɯ̟ᵝɕa̠]

Noun

通(つう)訳(やく)者(しゃ) • (tsūyakusha)  (kyūjitai 通譯者)

1. an interpreter (someone who listens to speech in one language, and repeats that content in another language)

Usage notes

Although the term 通訳 (tsūyaku) can mean both interpretation and interpreter (the person doing the interpretation), the term 通訳者 (tsūyakusha) refers more specifically to the person.

The term 通訳人 (​tsūyakunin) appears in more dictionaries[1][2]. The term 通訳者 (tsūyakusha) may have gained currency as a parallel construction to 翻訳者 (hon'yakusha, “translator”), for which there is no 翻訳人 (hon'yakunin) form.

Synonyms

• 通弁 (つうべん, ​tsūben)
• 通事 (つうじ, ​tsūji)
• 通訳 (つうやく, ​tsūyaku)
• 通訳人 (つうやくにん, ​tsūyakunin)

References

1. 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
2. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN