牧師

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 牧師 is read as ぼくし and is a noun for a pastor or minister who leads and serves a Christian congregation.
• Basic usage: A fictional figure appears in 小説の牧師, while a personal record appears in 牧師の日記.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Office and person
  • The word names the clerical role and can directly denote the person holding it.
• Difference from 神父
  • Both denote Christian clergy, but Japanese distinguishes 牧師 and 神父 according to denomination and clerical role.