刑事
keiji[ke̞ːʑi]
The English word "detective" can be translated into Japanese as 刑事 (keiji) or 探偵.
Meaning: police officer who looks for evidence (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 刑事 | keiji | [ke̞ːʑi] (narrow) |
| 探偵 | tantei | [tã̠nte̞ː] (narrow) |
The term 探偵 is more commonly associated with fictional detectives or private investigators. When referring specifically to a private detective, the standard phrase is 私立探偵.
Which one should you use?
刑事 refers specifically to a detective who is a member of the police force.
How do you pronounce it?
keiji
Did you know?
- In Japan, there is a massive industry of 探偵 who are hired not just for crimes, but for 'infidelity investigations'. These detectives specialize in gathering evidence of cheating spouses for divorce proceedings.
- While 刑事 means 'detective', the characters used for the word literally translate to 'criminal' and 'soldier' or 'official'. This reflects the historical role of the office as one that manages and handles criminals.
- In many anime series, a police detective is frequently addressed as デカ (deka), which is a slang abbreviation of 'detective'.
Examples in context
- 彼は刑事だ。He is a detective.This sentence is useful for stating that someone is a 刑事.Tatoeba #108018 by bunbuku, translation #295668 by CK
- 男は刑事に銃を向けた。The man aimed a gun at the detective.This sentence is useful for describing an action directed at a 刑事.Tatoeba #127205 by bunbuku, translation #10548020 by AlanF_US
- トムは私立探偵を雇った。Tom hired a private detective.This sentence is useful for showing how to use the term for a private detective with 探偵.Tatoeba #2743033 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #2743035 by CK
- Watashi wa keiji desu. (私は刑事です。)I am a detective.
- Ano tantei wa sugoku reberu ga takai ne. (あの探偵はすごくレベルが高いね。)That detective is really skilled.
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are talking about a TV crime drama.
- 蓮 Renこのドラマの刑事はかっこいいね。Kono dorama no keiji wa kakkoii ne.The detective in this drama is cool, isn't he?
- 結衣 Yui本当に。推理が鋭いし。Hontō ni. Suiri ga surudoi shi.Truly. His reasoning is sharp.
- 蓮 Ren僕も刑事になりたいな。Boku mo keiji ni naritai na.I want to become a detective too.
- 結衣 Yui蓮ならいい刑事になれるよ。Ren nara ii keiji ni nareru yo.If it's you, Ren, you could be a good detective.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “detective” translations and entries 刑事, 探偵, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
