違法薬物
ihō yakubutsu
The English phrase "illegal drugs" is translated into Japanese as 違法薬物 (ihō yakubutsu).
違法薬物 is a standard term used in news reporting and legal discussions to describe substances that are prohibited by law.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 違法 (ihō), meaning 'illegal' and 薬物 (yakubutsu), meaning 'drugs' or 'medicinal substances'.
How do you pronounce it?
ihō yakubutsu
Did you know?
- Japan has an extremely low tolerance for 違法薬物, and even a tiny amount of a substance that is legal in some Western countries can lead to immediate arrest and long-term social stigma.
- The term 薬物 (yakubutsu) is distinct from 薬 (kusuri), which usually refers to healing medicine. Using 薬物 often signals a cold, clinical, or criminal context to a Japanese listener.
- In Japanese media, illegal drugs are often referred to as 禁制品 (kinseihin), which translates to 'forbidden goods'. This broad term can include anything from narcotics to banned weaponry.
Examples in context
- 違法薬物は絶対に避けるべきだ。ihou yakubutsu wa zettai ni sakeru beki da.You should absolutely avoid illegal drugs.
- 彼は違法薬物で逮捕された。kare wa ihou yakubutsu de taiho sareta.He was arrested for illegal drugs.
- 警察は違法薬物の密輸を捜査している。keisatsu wa ihou yakubutsu no mitsumyu o sousa shite iru.The police are investigating the smuggling of illegal drugs.
Example conversation
Yota and Yui are talking about a news report.
- 陽太 Yotaニュースで違法薬物の事件を見たよ。Nyūsu de ihou yakubutsu no jiken o mita yo.I saw a news report about a case involving illegal drugs.
- 結衣 Yui本当に恐ろしい話だね。Hontō ni osoroshii hanashi da ne.That's a really scary story.
- 陽太 Yota法律で厳しく禁止されているよね。Hōritsu de kibishiku kinshi sarete iru yo ne.They are strictly forbidden by law, aren't they?
- 結衣 Yuiもちろん。絶対に関わっちゃダメだよ。Mochiron. Zettai ni kakawatcha dame da yo.Of course. You must never get involved with them.
