Usage of ～条
The suffix ～条 (～じょう) is used primarily as a counter for articles or clauses in legal documents, contracts, laws, and regulations. It is attached to a number to specify a particular article, such as 第３条 (Article 3).
Common Contexts
You will often see ～条 in formal written Japanese, especially in legal, governmental, or official documents. It is rarely used in casual conversation unless discussing such documents.
Collocations and Patterns
- 第～条 (だい～じょう): "Article number ~"; used to refer to a specific article.
- ～条に基づく (～じょうにもとづく): "based on Article ~"; used to indicate legal basis.
- ～条を定める (～じょうをさだめる): "to stipulate Article ~"; used when defining clauses.
Notes
When using ～条, the number is usually preceded by 第 (dai) to indicate the ordinal number of the article. Learners sometimes confuse ～条 with ～章 (chapter) or ～項 (paragraph), so it is important to remember that ～条 specifically refers to articles or clauses within legal or formal texts.
This suffix is formal and should be used in appropriate contexts related to laws, contracts, or official regulations.