与党（よとう、yotou）
- ruling party

The Japanese word 与党 (よとう, yotou) refers to the "ruling party" or "governing party" in a parliamentary system. It is the political party or coalition of parties that holds a majority of seats in the legislative body (such as the Diet in Japan) and, therefore, forms the government. The 与党 is responsible for leading the country, passing laws, and implementing policies. The term is also used in a broader sense to refer to a political party that supports the government's policies, even if it is not directly part of the ruling coalition. Essentially, the 与党 is the party or group of parties that are in power.

⚫︎日本の与党は新しい経済政策を推進しています。 Translation: The ruling party in Japan is promoting a new economic policy. ⚫︎与党の支持率が低下しています。 Translation: The approval rating of the ruling party is declining.

You use 与党 when discussing the government, politics, or current affairs in Japan. It is often used in news reports, political discussions, and academic contexts. It's important to use it when referring to the party or parties currently in power. You wouldn't use it to refer to a single politician (you'd use their title or name) or the general public (you'd use a term like 国民, kokumin, "citizen").

与党 is written in kanji as 与党 (よとう). The hiragana reading (よとう) is usually provided alongside the kanji to aid pronunciation. There are no other standard ways of writing this word, and the okurigana (the suffix hiragana) doesn't have variations.

⚫︎執政党 (しっせいとう, shisseitou): "Governing party" (more formal) ⚫︎政権与党 (せいけんよとう, seiken yotou): "The ruling party in power." (emphasizing the position of authority)

⚫︎野党 (やとう, yatou): "Opposition party"

与党は環境問題に対する新たな政策を発表しました。 ・Translation: The ruling party announced a new policy regarding environmental issues. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the activities of the political party currently in power.

最近の世論調査では、与党の支持率が大きく変動しました。 ・Translation: In recent opinion polls, the approval rating of the ruling party fluctuated significantly. ・Explanation: This example explains a situation in current politics involving the ruling party.

The word 与党 is formed from the kanji 与 (yo), meaning "to give," "to grant," or "to participate," and 党 (tou), meaning "party" or "faction." In this context, 与 indicates that the party "participates" or "is involved" in the government, or “give support” to the government. The combination of these two characters creates the meaning of a party that is "in power" or that “supports” the government.