犯罪者
hanzaisha[hã̠nd͡za̠iɕa̠]
The English word "criminal" can be translated into Japanese using several terms depending on the context. The default form is 犯罪者 (hanzaisha). Wiktionary also lists 犯人 (hannin) and 犯罪人 (hanzainin).
Meaning: person guilty of a crime, breaking the law (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 犯罪者 | hanzaisha | [hã̠nd͡za̠iɕa̠] (narrow) |
| 犯人 | hannin | [hã̠ɲ̟ːĩɴ] (narrow) |
| 犯罪人 | hanzainin | [hã̠nd͡za̠iɲ̟ĩɴ] (narrow) |
The terms used to describe a criminal in Japanese vary based on whether you are discussing a specific perpetrator or a broad social category. 犯罪者 is used broadly to describe someone who belongs to the class of people who commit crimes, often in a sociological or legal context. 犯人 is used to refer to a specific person who committed a crime, such as a culprit or perpetrator.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 犯罪者 is composed of 犯罪, meaning crime and 者, meaning person or one who does something.
Which one should you use?
While 犯罪者 describes a person as a member of the social category of criminals, 犯人 is the most common word used in news reports and detective stories to refer to the specific person who committed a crime.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
hanzaisha
Did you know?
- The word 犯人 can be used to describe someone who committed a non-criminal act, such as the person who ate the last piece of cake.
- The kanji for 'crime' in 犯罪 contains the character for 'error' or 'mistake', suggesting a linguistic link between wrongdoing and deviations from a norm.
- The character 者 in 犯罪者 is a common suffix used to turn verbs or nouns into a professional or social category, appearing in words for both 'specialist' and 'criminal'.
Examples in context
- 犯人は警察に逮捕された。The criminal was arrested by the police.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe the arrest of a 犯人.Tatoeba #121207 by tommy__san, translation #282794 by CM
- この人いつも犯人役だな。This person always plays the role of a criminal.This sentence shows how 犯人 is used when discussing a role in a story.Tatoeba #10990189 by small_snow, translation #13706636 by terrywallwork
- 犯人は現在も逃亡中です。The criminal is still at large.This sentence illustrates how to describe a 犯人 who is currently fleeing.Tatoeba #11316894 by bunbuku, translation #44417 by CM
- 彼は犯罪者です。He is a criminal.
- あの悪党め、許さない！I won't forgive that criminal!
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are discussing a news report about a law.
- 蓮 Ren犯罪者に厳しい罰を与えるべきだと思います。Hanzaisha ni kibishii batsu o ataeru beki da to omoimasu.I think criminals should be given severe punishments.
- 結衣 Yuiでも、更生させることも大切ですよね。Demo, kousei saseru koto mo taisetsu desu yo ne.But it's also important to rehabilitate them, isn't it?
- 蓮 Ren確かに、でも被害者の気持ちを考えるべきです。Tashika ni, demo higaisha no kimochi o kangaeru beki desu.True, but we should consider the victims' feelings.
- 結衣 Yuiそうですね。難しい問題です。Sou desu ne. Muzukashii mondai desu.You're right. It's a difficult problem.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “criminal” translations and entries 犯罪者, 犯人, 犯罪人, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
