首相（しゅしょう、shushou）
- prime minister

The word 首相, pronounced しゅしょう (shushou), means "Prime Minister" or "Premier". It refers to the head of government in countries that have a parliamentary system. The 首相 is typically the leader of the political party or coalition with the most seats in the parliament. They are responsible for leading the cabinet, setting the government's agenda, and representing the country internationally.

⚫︎ 日本の首相 Translation: The Prime Minister of Japan. ⚫︎ 首相官邸 Translation: The Prime Minister's Official Residence. ⚫︎ 次期首相 Translation: The next Prime Minister.

You use 首相 when discussing or referring to the head of government in a parliamentary system. It is used in formal and informal contexts, although more formal language might be preferred in official settings. It is essential when discussing political news, government policies, or the activities of the leader of the country.

The word 首相 is typically written in kanji 首相. The reading is しゅしょう in hiragana. There are no other common ways to write this word, and there are no variations in the okurigana.

There are no direct synonyms for 首相 that convey the exact same meaning, but related terms include: ⚫︎ 内閣総理大臣 (ないかくそうりだいじん) – Prime Minister (official title in Japan) ⚫︎ 国家元首 (こっかげんしゅ) - Head of State (in some contexts, especially when discussing the roles of the Prime Minister)

There aren't any direct antonyms for 首相, as it is a specific title. However, the positions related to the opposite of leading a country include: ⚫︎ 国民 (こくみん) - The people (citizen) ⚫︎ 野党 (やとう) - Opposition party

新しい首相は経済政策に重点を置くことを発表しました。 ・Translation: The new Prime Minister announced that they would focus on economic policy. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the announcement of a new Prime Minister and their policy priorities.

首相は国際会議に出席するため、海外へ出発しました。 ・Translation: The Prime Minister departed overseas to attend an international conference. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the Prime Minister's travel for international engagement.

The word 首相 is a compound word. 首 (しゅ) means "head" or "chief," and 相 (しょう) means "minister" or "official." Together, it literally means "chief minister" or "head minister," referring to the leading minister of the government.