48896
医者 or 先生？Which is the correct term to address my doctor? I actually received
many different responses from chatting with Japanese. Is there a preferred
term?
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-29T16:03:29.657
48889
2017-06-30T02:27:18.560
2017-06-29T18:04:26.867
17797
18435
question
meaning
医者 or 先生？Which title is appropriate?
先生 is used as a way of address when speaking directly to the individual or
when referring to the individual in communication with others. 医者 is the
actual profession of "physician" or more colloquial "doctor" and might be used
when speaking out of context.

> 昨日は医者に診てもらった (Yesterday I went to the doctor)

said in context to someone who didn't know the speaker had a health issue.

Compare with:

> 先週川口先生に診てもらった佐藤ですが… (My name is Satō, and I saw Dr. Kawaguchi last week...)

said in the context of the speaker addressing the reception staff at the
hospital.

I hope this demonstrates the difference in usage. Generally the cases in which
you would use 医者、医者さん、or お医者さん is when asking if someone is a physician.
Speaking to others at the hospital or the physician directly you should use
先生. However, I find that in some Japanese hospitals it's expected that you
don't speak unless being spoken too so you probably can manage without using
先生 though it is good to know in case the nurses tell you to wait for the
doctor.

Besides the well-known usage for teachers, 先生 is also used to address other
figures of higher learning or respect, lawyers, politicians, etc.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-29T20:39:30.703
48896
2017-06-30T00:54:43.457
2017-06-30T00:54:43.457
7810
14027
48889
answer
I think Sudachi's answer is perfect, so I up-voted it.

> Besides the well-known usage for teachers, 先生 is also used to address other
> figures of higher learning or respect, lawyers, politicians, etc.

This is quoted from Sudachi's answer.  
I'll show you an interesting saying which is written
[here](https://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%85%88%E7%94%9F%E3%81%A8%E8%A8%80%E3%82%8F%E3%82%8C%E3%82%8B%E3%81%BB%E3%81%A9%E3%81%AE%E9%A6%AC%E9%B9%BF%E3%81%A7%E3%81%AA%E3%81%97-310281)
relating to the quotation:

> 大辞林 第三版の解説  
>  **せんせいといわれるほどのばかでなし【先生｛せんせい｝と言｛い｝われるほどの馬鹿｛ばか｝でなし】**
>
> 〔先生という敬称が必ずしも敬意を伴うものではないことから〕  
>  先生と言われて気分をよくするほど、馬鹿ではない。また、そう呼ばれていい気になっている者をあざけって言う言葉。

Roughly translated as:

> Literally: **I am not stupid or a fool enough to be called [先生]｛sensei｝**.
>
> 【 The maxim that came from that the honorific name of [先生]｛sensei｝ is not
> necessarily accompanied by respect 】  
>  _I am not stupid enough to make myself feel better as being called
> **Sensei**._  
>  Also, the word with **Sensei** is used to ridicule a person who becomes
> pleased to be called so.

But, you can call Dr. Kawaguchi " _sensei_ " with confidence.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-30T02:21:42.193
48901
2017-06-30T02:27:18.560
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
-1
20624
48889
answer