The Meaning of hōshi [奉仕] In Japanese

奉仕
ほうし
Romaji: hōshi N4

What does 奉仕 mean?

Translation and Meaning

service, devotion, volunteering

Definition

奉仕 (hōshi) means service or devotion to others, often in volunteering or community work. It refers to willingly offering one’s time and effort to help people or a cause, typically in formal or charitable settings.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • volunteer work and public-spirited helping
  • spirit of service; selfless dedication to a task or cause
  • acts of service in religious, ceremonial, or charitable contexts

Composition

  • 奉: to offer, to present; here it conveys dedicating oneself to service
  • 仕: to do, to serve; together they express performing service for others

Usage

Used as a noun in formal writing and institutional contexts; commonly appears in compounds such as 奉仕活動, 奉仕者, and 奉仕精神; in casual speech it is less common and may be substituted with ボランティア.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine presenting something (奉) to a person and then doing the act (仕) – you are offering your deeds in service.

Variations

  • 奉仕 (hōshi) — service, devotion
  • 献身 (kenshin) — devotion, self-sacrifice
  • ボランティア (borantia) — volunteering
  • 公務 (kōmu) — public service

Example Phrases

  • 近所の祭りで、私たちは互いに奉仕の心を育てる。
    Kinjo no matsuri de, watashitachi wa tagai ni hōshi no kokoro o sodateru.
    At a neighborhood festival, we cultivate a spirit of service for one another.
    Lista:
    • 近所 (kinjo) – neighborhood
    • の (no) – possessive particle
    • 祭り (matsuri) – festival
    • で (de) – location/time particle
    • 私たちは (watashitachi wa) – we (topic)
    • 互いに (tagai ni) – with each other
    • 奉仕の心 (hōshi no kokoro) – spirit of service
    • を (wo) – object marker
    • 育てる (sodateru) – to cultivate
    Core point: 「奉仕」 is a noun used in the phrase 「奉仕の心」 meaning ‘spirit of service’; the phrase functions as the object of 育てる.
奉仕