事件
jiken[d͡ʑikẽ̞ɴ]
In Japanese, 'case' can be translated in several ways depending on the context, with the default form being 事件 (jiken). Wiktionary also lists 例 (rei) and 事例 (jirei).
Meaning: actual event, situation, or fact (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 事件 | jiken | [d͡ʑikẽ̞ɴ] (narrow) |
| 例 | rei | [ɾe̞ː] (narrow) [ta̠me̞ɕi] (narrow) |
| 事例 | jirei | [d͡ʑiɾe̞ː] (narrow) |
| 場合 | baai | [ba̠a̠i] (narrow) |
The English word 'case' translates to different Japanese terms depending on whether you are talking about a criminal incident, a conditional situation, a documented example or a simple illustration.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the nature of the 'case': 事件 is used for a specific criminal incident, accident or scandalous event. 場合 is used when 'case' refers to a conditional situation or circumstance (e.g., 'in the case that…'). 事例 is used for an analytical case, such as a documented instance, a precedent or a case study. And 例 is used when the 'case' is a simple illustrative example of a point.
How do you pronounce it?
jiken
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the word 例 for 'case' or 'example' is also used to describe 'usual' or 'the usual' in the phrase 例の, referring to something both speakers already know about.
- In many Japanese business contexts, instead of using a word for 'case' like 事例, people may use the loanword ケース (kēsu) written in Katakana to describe a specific instance or scenario.
- While 場合 is used for a conditional 'case', the first character 場 specifically refers to a physical location, reflecting a cultural view of circumstances as 'places' one enters.
Examples in context
- 事件は幕を閉じた。The case came to a close.This sentence shows the use of 事件 to describe a case coming to a close.Tatoeba #11042994 by bunbuku, translation #13323606 by Ag12x
- 雨の場合私は行かない。In case it rains, I won't go.This sentence demonstrates how to use 場合 for a conditional 'in case'.Tatoeba #189576 by small_snow, translation #26729 by CK
- 最悪の場合を考えておこう。Let's consider the worst case scenario.This sentence shows how 場合 is used to describe a 'worst case scenario'.Tatoeba #4776 by bunbuku, translation #13573975 by CK
- この 事例 に基づいて、戦略を考えましょう。Let's think about the strategy based on this case.
- その ケース では、返金に対応できます。In that case, we can provide a refund.
- 51 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a mysterious occurrence in a news report.
- 健太 Kentaあの事件はまだ解決していないんだって。Ano jiken wa mada kaiketsu shite inai ndatte.I heard that case hasn't been solved yet.
- 結衣 Yui本当に不可解な事件だね。Hontō ni fukakai na jiken da ne.It really is a mysterious case, isn't it?
- 健太 Kenta犯人が誰なのか全くわからない。Hannin ga dare nano ka mattaku wakaranai.I have no idea who the culprit is.
- 結衣 Yui警察が捜査を続けているみたいだよ。Keisatsu ga sōsa o tsuzukete iru mitai da yo.It looks like the police are continuing their investigation.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “case” translations and entries 事件, 例, 事例, 場合, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
