反乱
hanran[hã̠n̺ɾã̠ɴ]
The English phrase rebellion is translated into Japanese as 反乱 (hanran), 謀叛 or 蜂起.
Meaning: armed resistance (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 反乱 | hanran | [hã̠n̺ɾã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
| 謀叛 | muhon | [mɯ̟hõ̞ɴ] (narrow) |
| 蜂起 | hōki | [ho̞ːkʲi] (narrow) |
These terms all refer to armed resistance.
Which one should you use?
反乱 (hanran) is the most general term for a rebellion or an uprising, often used for large-scale or military contexts. 謀叛 (muhon) specifically carries the nuance of treason or a conspiracy to betray a superior or a lord. 蜂起 (hōki) emphasizes the sudden, spontaneous act of rising up in arms, often used for popular or grassroots insurrections.
How do you pronounce it?
hanran
Did you know?
- The term 蜂起 contains the character for 'bee', making the phrase literally mean 'rising up like a swarm of bees'.
- While English uses 'rebellion' for both political and teenage defiance, Japanese uses 反乱 strictly for armed or organized resistance. For a teenager's 'rebellion', the word 反抗 (hankō) is used instead.
- While 反乱 is a general term, using 謀叛 in a modern workplace might sound like you are accusing a colleague of a high-stakes, historical conspiracy rather than just a disagreement.
Examples in context
- 軍隊は反乱を制圧した。The army quelled the rebellion.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 反乱.Tatoeba #176655 by shibaddict, translation #480044 by arbaro
- 過去の歴史において有名な反乱は多くあります。There have been numerous famous rebellions throughout history.
- かつてこの地で反乱が起きた。Katsute kono chi de hanran ga okita.A rebellion once occurred in this land.
- その反乱はすぐに鎮められた。Sono hanran wa sugu ni shizumerareta.That rebellion was quickly suppressed.
Example conversation
Two students are discussing a historical movie.
- 陽葵 Himariあの映画の反乱のシーンは迫力があったね。Ano eiga no hanran no shiin wa hakuryoku ga atta ne.The rebellion scene in that movie was powerful, wasn't it?
- 陽太 Yotaそうだね、歴史の教科書より面白かったよ。Sou da ne, rekishi no kyookasho yori omoshirokatta yo.Yeah, it was more interesting than a history textbook.
- 陽葵 Himari陽太くんも歴史の映画は好き？Hinata-kun mo rekishi no eiga wa suki?Do you like historical movies too, Hinata?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、戦いの場面は特に好きだよ。Un, tatakai no bamen wa toku ni suki da yo.Yes, I especially like battle scenes.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rebellion” translations and entries 反乱, 謀叛, 蜂起, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
