法律（ほうりつ、houritsu）
- law

The Japanese word 法律 (ほうりつ, *houritsu*) means "law" or "laws" in English. It refers to the system of rules and regulations established by a government or other authority to govern the conduct of people within a particular community or state. It encompasses a wide range of legal principles and statutes, covering areas such as criminal law, civil law, constitutional law, and more. 法律 provides the framework for order, justice, and the protection of rights and responsibilities within a society.

⚫︎彼は法律を勉強しています。 Translation: He is studying law. ⚫︎新しい法律が施行されました。 Translation: A new law was enacted. ⚫︎法律は国民を守ります。 Translation: Laws protect the people.

You use 法律 in conversations when discussing laws, legal matters, or the legal system in general. It's used in formal and informal contexts. You can use it when talking about specific laws, legal studies, or the importance of the rule of law. It's often used with verbs like 勉強する（べんきょうする, *benkyou suru*, to study), 守る（まもる, *mamoru*, to protect), or 施行される（しこうされる, *shikou sareru*, to be enforced/implemented).

法律 is typically written in kanji as 法律 (ほうりつ). The reading, *houritsu*, is written in hiragana. There is no other common way to write this word. Okurigana is not applicable for this word.

⚫︎ 法 (ほう, *hou*): Law (general) ⚫︎ 規則 (きそく, *kisoku*): Rules, regulations ⚫︎ 法規 (ほうき, *houki*): Laws and regulations

There isn't a single direct antonym for 法律, as the concept of law doesn't have a simple opposite. However, the absence or disregard of 法律 could be described by words like: ⚫︎ 無法 (むほう, *muhou*): Lawlessness, anarchy ⚫︎ 違法 (いほう, *ihou*): Illegal

弁護士は法律の専門家です。 ・Translation: Lawyers are experts in law. ・Explanation: This sentence explains the profession of a lawyer and their specialized knowledge of the legal system, using the word 法律 to refer to the body of knowledge they specialize in.

その会社は法律に違反しました。 ・Translation: That company violated the law. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates a company breaking the legal code and explains the context of illegal activity.

The word 法律 is a compound word derived from Chinese. 法(ほう, *hou*) means "law," "rule," or "principle," and 律(りつ, *ritsu*) means "law," "statute," or "discipline." The combination emphasizes both the written rules and the structure and the enforcement of the legal system. It entered the Japanese language through the adoption of Chinese characters.