事故
jiko[d͡ʑiko̞]
In Japanese, the word for accident is 事故 (jiko). Wiktionary also lists アクシデント (akushidento).
Meaning: unexpected event with negative consequences (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 事故 | jiko | [d͡ʑiko̞] (narrow) |
| アクシデント | akushidento | [a̠kɯ̟̊ɕidẽ̞nto̞] (narrow) |
The word refers to an unexpected event with negative consequences.
Which one should you use?
事故 is typically used for serious or official accidents, such as traffic accidents or industrial mishaps. In contrast, アクシデント is often used for minor mishaps, unexpected complications or bad luck in daily life or entertainment.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say one 'was involved in' or 'met with' an accident, use the verb phrase 事故に遭う (jiko ni au).
How do you pronounce it?
jiko
Did you know?
- While 事故 is usually negative, it is used in the term 事故物件 (jiko bukken) to describe 'stigmatized properties' where a violent or unnatural death occurred.
- In Japanese, the word 事故 is strictly used for objective, external events, whereas a person's own mistake or blunder would be described using words like 失敗 (failure) or ミス (mistake).
- The kanji 故 in 事故 originally meant 'the reason' or 'cause', reflecting a historical focus on determining why an event occurred.
Examples in context
- 事故にあいました。I had an accident.This is useful for saying you had an accident using 事故.Tatoeba #150868 by small_snow, translation #897323 by Scott
- 事故したんだって？I heard you had an accident.This is useful for asking if someone had an accident using 事故.Tatoeba #11049537 by small_snow, translation #2643749 by CK
- 彼は事故で負傷した。He was injured in the accident.This is useful for describing someone injured in an accident using 事故.Tatoeba #105366 by bunbuku, translation #290906 by CK
- 今朝、高速道路で事故が発生しました。This morning, an accident occurred on the highway.
- あそこで事故が起きているみたいだよ。It looks like there's an accident over there.
- 332 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are talking on the phone after a train delay.
- 美咲 Misaki電車が事故で遅れているみたい。densha ga jiko de okurete iru mitai.It looks like the train is delayed due to an accident.
- 健太 Kentaそれは大変だね。大丈夫？sore wa taihen da ne. daijoubu?That's terrible. Are you okay?
- 美咲 Misakiうん、私は大丈夫だよ。un, watashi wa daijoubu da yo.Yeah, I am okay.
- 健太 Kentaよかった。気をつけて来てね。yokatta. ki o tsukete kite ne.I'm glad. Please be careful on your way here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “accident” translations and entries 事故, アクシデント, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
