反逆者
hangyakusha[hã̠ŋʲɡʲa̠kɯ̟ɕa̠]
The Japanese word for rebel is 反逆者 (hangyakusha).
反逆者 refers to a person who resists an established authority. It is a heavy, formal term often used in historical, political or literary contexts, such as describing a traitor to a state or an emperor.
Meaning: person who resists an established authority (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 反 (anti/against), 逆 (reverse/rebel) and 者 (person).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Other related verbs meaning to resist or become defiant include 背く, 抗う and 反逆する.
How do you pronounce it?
hangyakusha
Did you know?
- Historically, the concept of the 反逆者 was tied to the crime of 逆賊 (gyakuzoku), which often resulted in the eradication of the rebel's entire family line.
- In modern pop culture, like anime or manga, characters who are social outcasts or 'rebels' are more likely to be called はみ出し者 (hamidashimono), meaning someone who 'sticks out' of the group.
- In Japanese media, a rebel character might be described as an アウトロー (autoro), a loanword from 'outlaw' that carries a cooler, more stylish connotation than the heavy 反逆者.
Examples in context
- ついに反逆者は捕らえられ、拘置所に入れられた。The rebel was ultimately captured and confined to jail.This sentence is useful for seeing 反逆者 used in a narrative context about being captured.Tatoeba #202649 by arnab, translation #39883 by CM
- 彼は反逆者だ。He's a rebel.This sentence shows a simple way to identify someone as a 反逆者.Tatoeba #3957636 by Kuddy, translation #2473465 by Hybrid
- 大戦時に反逆者は厳しく処罰されました。Rebels were severely punished during wartime.
- 彼は学校のルールに反逆している。He is rebelling against the school rules.
- その反逆者は王に立ち向かった。Sono hangyakusha wa ō ni tachimukatta.The rebel stood up against the king.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a historical movie.
- 美咲 Misakiあの映画の主人公は反逆者だったね。Ano eiga no shujinkō wa hangyakusha datta ne.The protagonist of that movie was a rebel, wasn't he?
- 大翔 Hirotoそうだね、とても勇敢な男だった。Sō da ne, totemo yūkan na otoko datta.That's true, he was a very brave man.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔君は、あんな風に戦いたいと思う？Hiroto-kun wa, anna fū ni tatakaitai to omou?Hiroto, do you want to fight like that?
- 大翔 Hirotoいや、僕は平和が一番だよ。Iya, boku wa heiwa ga ichiban dayo.No, I prefer peace above all else.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rebel” translations and entries 反逆者, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
