Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 虐殺 | gyakusatsu | [ɡʲa̠kɯ̟sa̠t͡sɨ] (narrow) |
| 大虐殺 | daigyakusatsu | [ta̠iɡʲa̠kɯ̟̊sa̠t͡sɨ] (narrow) |
| 惨殺 | zansatsu |
The term refers to an intentional mass killing. You can turn the noun 虐殺 into a verb by adding する, resulting in 虐殺する (to massacre). For a more formal and serious tone regarding a bloody or large-scale killing, you might use 殺戮. To specifically emphasize the massive magnitude of a tragedy, the term 大量殺戮 is used, which literally means 'mass killing'.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 虐殺 is composed of the characters 虐 (to maltreat/cruelly) and 殺 (to kill).
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on the scale and the nature of the violence: 大虐殺 adds the prefix 大 (big/great) to emphasize the scale or magnitude of the massacre. While 虐殺 focuses on the systematic or mass nature of the killing, 惨殺 emphasizes the cruelty and the gruesome, horrific manner in which the victims were killed.
How do you pronounce it?
gyakusatsu
Did you know?
- The character 殺 is shared with the word 殺風景, which describes a 'bleak' or 'desolate' landscape, though it has nothing to do with actual killing.
- The character 殺 in 虐殺 is also used in the word 必殺, meaning a 'certain kill' or a finishing move, a term frequently seen in Japanese martial arts films and manga.
- While 虐殺 describes the act of killing, the word 虐待 uses the same first character 虐 to refer to 'abuse' or 'maltreatment', such as animal cruelty.
Examples in context
- 戦争中の殺戮The massacre during the war
- 歴史の教科書には、その虐殺について書かれている。Rekishi no kyokasho ni wa, sono gyakusatsu ni tsuite kakarete iru.The history textbook describes that massacre.
- その虐殺は、決して許されることではない。Sono gyakusatsu wa, kesshite yurusareru koto de wa nai.That massacre is something that can never be forgiven.
- 彼は紛争による虐殺の実態を調査している。Kare wa funso ni yoru gyakusatsu no jittai o chosa shite iru.He is investigating the reality of the massacre caused by the conflict.
Example conversation
Two students are discussing a history documentary in a library.
- 結衣 Yuiあのドキュメンタリー、とても悲惨だったね。Ano dokyumentari, totemo hisan datta ne.That documentary was very tragic, wasn't it?
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、大規模な虐殺の記録に衝撃を受けたよ。Un, daikibo na gyakusatsu no kiroku ni shogeki o uketa yo.Yeah, I was shocked by the records of the large-scale massacre.
- 結衣 Yui大翔君は、どう感じた？Hiroto-kun wa, do kanjita?Hiroto, how did you feel?
- 大翔 Hiroto言葉にならないほど、残酷な出来事だったと思う。Kotoba ni naranai hodo, zankoku na dekigoto datta to omou.I think it was an event so cruel that words cannot describe it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “massacre” translations and entries 虐殺, 大虐殺, 惨殺, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
