The Meaning of gensoku [原則] In Japanese

原則
げんそく
Romaji: gensoku N3

What does 原則 mean?

Translation and Meaning

principle, rule, standard, norm

Definition

What does 原則 mean? It denotes a fundamental rule or guiding principle that governs actions, policies, or systems, serving as the baseline standard or default approach.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • core meaning: a fundamental rule or guiding principle that underpins decisions and behavior in most contexts.
  • general rule usage: used in phrases to indicate something true in principle rather than in every case (as a general rule).
  • policy and ethics nuance: often appears in legal, organizational, and philosophical language to describe normative standards.

Origin

Introduced through the Sino-Japanese writing system; used in classical and modern Japanese to denote a fundamental rule guiding behavior, policy, or reasoning.

Composition

  • 原: base, origin; on’yomi げん gen; kun’yomi はら
  • 則: rule, standard; on’yomi そく soku; kun’yomi n/a
  • 原則: combined meaning a base rule or fundamental principle

Usage

Used as a noun in formal and written Japanese. Commonly paired with として to express a general rule (原則として) or with 原則的 to describe something that adheres to the principle. In academic, legal, and policy contexts it marks normative standards rather than exceptions.

💡 Tips
Mnemonic: connect the idea of origin (原) as the base, and rule (則) as the guiding principle, to remember that 原則 means the base rule or principle.

Variations

  • 原理 genri – principle
  • 規則 kisoku – rule
  • 基準 kijun – standard

Example Phrases

  • 原則、会議は午前中に終わる。
    Gensoku, kaigi wa gozenchuu ni owaru.
    In principle, meetings end in the morning.
    Lista:
    • 原則 (gensoku) – principle
    • 会議 (kaigi) – meeting
    • は (wa) – topic marker
    • 午前中 (gozenchuu) – morning
    • に (ni) – time particle
    • 終わる (owaru) – to end
    「原則」 is a noun meaning ‘in principle’ or ‘as a rule’; here it marks a general rule about meetings.
原則