警備員
keibiin
The English phrase 'security guard' is 警備員 (keibiin) in Japanese. Wiktionary also lists ガードマン (gādoman).
Meaning: person employed to provide security (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 警備員 | keibiin | |
| ガードマン | gādoman | [ɡa̠ːdo̞mã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
A security guard is a person employed to provide security. You can use the noun 警備 to refer specifically to the act of security or guarding itself.
Which one should you use?
警備員 is the standard, formal term used in professional and official contexts. In contrast, ガードマン is a loanword used more often in casual or commercial settings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
警備員 is the appropriate term for official or professional situations. ガードマン is a colloquial katakana loanword that sounds more casual and is frequently used in everyday conversation or in advertisements.
How do you pronounce it?
keibiin
Did you know?
- The term ガードマン follows a pattern in 'Wasei eigo' where the suffix 'man' is added to English nouns to create a job title, regardless of the person's gender.
- Unlike in many English-speaking countries, it is common to see security guards in Japan wearing white gloves and brightly colored armbands to signal their authority.
- The character 警 in 警備員 is also used in 警察 for 'police', reflecting a shared root of 'warning' or 'alerting' the public.
Examples in context
- 博物館の警備員として働いています。I work as a security guard at a museum.This sentence is useful for describing your occupation using 警備員.Tatoeba #12703177 by small_snow, translation #9975325 by ddnktr
- 彼は倉庫の警備員として仕事をしている。He is working as a security guard at a warehouse.This sentence is useful for describing someone else's job using 警備員.Tatoeba #522337 by blay_paul, translation #300818 by CM
- あの警備員はとても親切です。Ano keibain wa totemo shinsetsu desu.That security guard is very kind.
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are entering a large shopping mall.
- 健太 Kentaあ、あそこに警備員さんがいるね。A, asoko ni keibiin-san ga iru ne.Oh, there is a security guard over there.
- 美咲 Misaki本当だ。道を聞いてみようか。Hontou da. Michi o kiite miyou ka.You're right. Shall we ask them for directions?
- 健太 Kentaいい考えだね。行こう。Ii kangae da ne. Ikou.That's a good idea. Let's go.
- 美咲 Misakiあの警備員さんは親切そうだよ。Ano keibiin-san wa shinsetsu sou da yo.That security guard looks kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “security guard” translations and entries 警備員, ガードマン, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
