Sections
博士Hakase: what it means in anime
はかせ · hakase
expert; learned person
Hakase means "doctor" or "professor" in the sense of a scientist or PhD, not a medical doctor. It is what anime calls its scientists, from Professor Oak (オーキド博士) to Detective Conan's Agasa.
Updated November 2, 2026
Where you hear it
-
すまない 博士…Forgive me, Doctor...
One-Punch ManEpisode 2 · 9 lines in episodes 1–3 -
中鉢博士の会見は 中止になったっしょ！Doctor Nakabachi's press conference was canceled!
Steins;GateEpisode 2 · 7 lines in episodes 1–3
From the Japanese subtitles · how we count
Usage and nuance
In One Punch Man, Genos calls his creator Dr. Kuseno simply 博士: すまない博士, "forgive me, Doctor". Steins;Gate has 中鉢博士, Dr. Nakabachi, whose press conference opens the story.
A medical doctor is 医者 (isha) or お医者さん, and the doctor you address in a hospital is 先生. 博士 is for research and inventions.
The formal reading of the degree is はくし, as in 博士号 (hakushigou, doctorate). はかせ is the everyday reading and the one used for characters.
Hear 博士 in One-Punch Man9 lines in episodes 1–3 · tappable subtitles · free, no account