Law and Rules Vocabulary

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to recognize and use 20 N3-level vocabulary words related to law, rules, and formal situations. You will understand their meanings, readings, and how to use them in sentences.

Law and rules vocabulary in Japanese often appears in news, formal documents, and discussions about society, rights, and obligations. These words help you talk about legal processes, personal rights, social rules, and emotional states related to rules (like stress or calmness). Many of these words are also used in everyday conversation, not just in court.

1. Verbs Related to Law & Process

• 至る (いたる, itaru) — to arrive at, to reach (a conclusion, a stage, a place)
  • Often used in formal contexts: 結論に至る (ketsuron ni itaru, to reach a conclusion)結論至
  至結論
• 落ち着く (おちつく, ochitsuku) — to calm down, to compose oneself; also “to settle” (e.g., a dispute)
  • In law: 話し合いで落ち着く (hanashiai de ochitsuku, to settle through discussion)話合落着
  落着話合

2. Nouns: People & Places

• 若者 (わかもの, wakamono) — young people若者
• 著者 (ちょしゃ, chosha) — author, writer (used in copyright law)著者
• 花屋 (はなや, hanaya) — florist, flower shop (a place of business)花屋
• 舞台 (ぶたい, butai) — stage (theater); also “scene” (e.g., 犯罪の舞台, crime scene)舞台犯罪
• 芝居 (しばい, shibai) — play, drama; also “act” (pretending)芝居
• 芝生 (しばふ, shibafu) — lawn (often in public parks, rules about walking on it)芝生

3. Nouns: Abstract Concepts

• 航空 (こうくう, kōkū) — aviation, flying (e.g., 航空法, aviation law)航空法
• 芸術 (げいじゅつ, geijutsu) — art, the arts (protected by law in some contexts)芸術
• 花束 (はなたば, hanataba) — bunch of flowers, bouquet花束
• 花火 (はなび, hanabi) — fireworks (often regulated by local rules)花火
• 苦痛 (くつう, kutsū) — pain, agony (physical or mental; used in personal injury law)苦痛
• 苦労 (くろう, kurō) — troubles, hardships (e.g., 苦労をかける, to cause trouble)苦労
• 莫大 (ばくだい, bakudai) — enormous, vast (e.g., 莫大な損害, enormous damage)莫大損害

4. Adjectives & Verbs: Emotions & States

• 苦しい (くるしい, kurushii) — painful, difficult (e.g., 苦しい状況, painful situation)苦状況
• 苦しむ (くるしむ, kurushimu) — to suffer (e.g., 痛みに苦しむ, to suffer from pain)苦痛
• 苛々 (いらいら, iraira) — getting nervous, irritation (often written in hiragana: いらいら)
  • 苛々する (iraira suru) — to get irritated苛
  苛

5. Animal Word (Bonus)

• 虎 (とら, tora) — tiger (appears in idioms like 虎の威を借る狐, a fox borrowing a tiger's might – about abusing power)虎威借狐

• Mixing 苦しい (kurushii) and 苦痛 (kutsū): 苦しい is an adjective (painful), 苦痛 is a noun (pain/agony). Don't say 苦痛だ (kutsū da) to mean “I am in pain” – instead say 苦しいです (kurushii desu) or 苦痛を感じる (kutsū o kanjiru, to feel pain).苦痛感
• Confusing 芝居 (shibai, play/drama) and 芝生 (shibafu, lawn): They sound similar but are completely different. 芝居 is theater, 芝生 is grass.芝居生
• Using 至る (itaru) for simple “arrive”: 至る is formal and implies reaching a final point (conclusion, stage). For physical arrival, use 着く (tsuku).至着

Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the lesson.

1. 彼は新しい__________に立った。 (He stood on a new stage.)
   → 彼は新しい舞台に立った。彼新立舞台

   彼新立舞台

2. あの__________は有名な小説家だ。 (That author is a famous novelist.)
   → あの著者は有名な小説家だ。有名小説家著

   有名小説家著

3. 試験の結果に__________まで、緊張していた。 (Until I reached the exam results, I was nervous.)
   → 試験の結果に至るまで、緊張していた。試験結果緊張

   試験結果緊張

4. 毎晩__________して、眠れない。 (I get irritated every night and can't sleep.)
   → 毎晩苛々して、眠れない。毎晩眠苛

   毎晩眠苛

5. この__________な借金をどうしよう。 (What should I do about this enormous debt?)
   → この莫大な借金をどうしよう。借金莫大

   借金莫大

You have learned 20 N3 vocabulary words related to law, rules, and formal situations. Focus on the verbs 至る and 落ち着く, and the nouns 苦痛, 莫大, and 芸術 – they appear frequently in news and formal writing. Practice using them in sentences about rules, court cases, or personal experiences.至落着苦痛莫

Next step: Review these words in context by reading a short news article about a legal case or a local regulation (e.g., about fireworks or lawn use). Try to find these words in real Japanese text.