詐欺
sagi[sa̠ɡʲi]
In Japanese, the word for scam is 詐欺 (sagi).
詐欺 refers to a fraudulent deal or scam.
Meaning: fraudulent deal (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
sagi
Did you know?
- The word sagi is a homonym in Japanese and also means 'heron'. Because of this, some people jokingly associate the bird with the act of cheating.
- The term 詐欺師 (sagishi) is used to describe a con artist, where the suffix 師 implies a professional or a person who has mastered a specific craft.
- Japan has a specific term Ore Ore sagi which literally translates to 'It is me, it is me scam'. It refers to a common fraud where a caller pretends to be a relative in trouble to trick elderly people.
Examples in context
- 詐欺臭いな。It sounds like a scam.This sentence is useful for expressing that something smells like or sounds like a 詐欺.Tatoeba #11046577 by small_snow, translation #3724748 by CM
- なんか詐欺っぽいね。That sounds like a scam.This sentence is useful for saying that something seems to be a 詐欺.Tatoeba #11029748 by small_snow, translation #3724749 by CM
- 詐欺メールにはご注意ください。With regard to scam email, please be cautious.This sentence is useful for providing a warning regarding 詐欺 emails.Tatoeba #9159165 by small_snow, translation #10228642 by terrywallwork
- この商品を買ったけど、まさかぼったくりだったんだI bought this item, but it turned out to be a scam
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a suspicious investment website.
- 大翔 Hirotoこのサイト、詐欺じゃないの？Kono saito, sagi janai no?Isn't this website a scam?
- 結衣 Yuiたぶん、詐欺だよ。Tabun, sagi dayo.It's probably a scam.
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣、気を付けてね。Yui, ki o tsukete ne.Be careful, Yui.
- 結衣 Yuiありがとう、大翔。気を付けるよ。Arigatou, Hiroto. Ki o tsukeru yo.Thanks, Hiroto. I will be careful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “scam” translations and entries 詐欺, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
