Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 범죄자 | beomjoeja | [ˈpɘ(ː)md͡ʑwe̞d͡ʑa̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [ˈpɘ(ː)md͡ʑø̞d͡ʑa̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 범인 | beomin | [ˈpɘ(ː)min] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 범죄인 | beomjoein | [ˈpɘ(ː)md͡ʑwe̞in] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [ˈpɘ(ː)md͡ʑø̞in] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
Korean uses different terms for a criminal depending on whether you are speaking about a person in a legal sense, a specific perpetrator of a crime or a person who has sinned. Related terms include 범죄적 to describe something being against the law and 죄인 to describe someone who is guilty of breaking the law.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 범죄자 is composed of 범죄, meaning crime and the suffix 자, meaning person. The word 범인 is composed of 범, meaning crime or offense and 인, meaning person.
Which one should you use?
범죄자 refers to a person who has committed a crime in a general or legal sense. In contrast, 범인 is more commonly used to refer to a specific perpetrator or the culprit of a particular crime or incident, such as when saying 'the culprit was caught'. While 범죄자 is used for strictly legal contexts regarding law-breaking, 죄인 is often used in a moral or religious context to mean 'sinner'.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
beomjoeja
Did you know?
- While 범인 can mean 'criminal', it is also a homonym for the word meaning 'an ordinary person' or 'a commoner'.
- The word 죄인 can be used in a non-legal sense to describe someone who feels deep guilt or shame toward their parents or elders.
- While 범죄자 is a legal label, the term 죄인 is often used in historical dramas to describe someone who has committed a crime against the King or the state.
Examples in context
- 범죄자가 법적인 처벌을 받아야 합니다.Criminals should receive legal punishment.
- 악당은 언제나 벌을 받게 됩니다.Villains always get what they deserve.
- 그는 악랄한 범죄자입니다.geuneun akralhan beomjoejaimnida.He is a wicked criminal.
- 경찰이 범죄자를 추적하고 있어요.gyeongchari beomjoejareul chujeokhago isseoyo.The police are tracking the criminal.
- 범죄자는 반드시 처벌받아야 합니다.beomjoejaneun bandeusi cheobeolbadaya hamnida.A criminal must be punished.
Example conversation
Dohyun and Subin are talking about a news report.
- 도현 Do-hyeon뉴스 봤어? 범죄자가 탈출했대.nyuseu bwasseo? beomjojaga talchulhaetdae.Did you see the news? They say a criminal escaped.
- 수빈 Su-bin정말? 너무 무서워요.jeongmal? neomu museowoyo.Really? That is so scary.
- 도현 Do-hyeon빨리 다시 잡혔으면 좋겠어.ppalli dasi jabhyeosseumyeon jokesseo.I hope they catch him again soon.
- 수빈 Su-bin맞아요. 도현 씨, 조심하세요.majayo. dohyun ssi, josimhaseyo.You're right. Be careful, Dohyun.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “criminal” translations and entries 범죄자, 범인, 범죄인, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
