狙撃手
sogekishu[so̞ɡe̞kʲiɕɨ]
The Japanese word for sharpshooter is 狙撃手, pronounced sogekishu.
狙撃手 is a term used to describe a person performing a sniper shot. It is commonly used in military, tactical or gaming contexts to describe a specialized long-range combatant.
Meaning: marksman (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
sogekishu
Did you know?
- In daily Japanese, the verb 狙う found in 狙撃手 is used for non-violent goals, such as 'aiming' to buy a limited edition product.
- While 手 means 'hand', when it appears at the end of 狙撃手 to denote a specialist, its pronunciation shifts from 'te' to 'shu'.
- If you are playing a video game, you might see the katakana term スナイパー, which is a loanword from the English 'sniper'. While 狙撃手 sounds more formal and technical, gamers almost exclusively use the English-derived term.
Examples in context
- 彼は優れた狙撃手だ。Kare wa sugureta sogekishu da.He is an excellent sharpshooter.
- その狙撃手はどこにいますか？Sono sogekishu wa doko ni imasu ka?Where is that sharpshooter?
- 物語の主人公は伝説の狙撃手です。Monogatari no shujinkou wa densetsu no sogekishu desu.The protagonist of the story is a legendary sharpshooter.
Example conversation
Misaki and Yota are discussing a movie they just watched.
- 美咲 Misakiあの映画の狙撃手、凄かったね。Ano eiga no sogekishu, sugokatta ne.The sharpshooter in that movie was amazing, wasn't he?
- 陽太 Yota本当だね。命中率が完璧だったよ。Hontou da ne. Meichuuritsu ga kanpeki datta yo.True. His accuracy was perfect.
- 美咲 Misaki狙撃手になるには、忍耐が必要だと思う。Sogekishu ni naru ni wa, nintai ga hitsuyou da to omou.I think you need patience to become a sharpshooter.
- 陽太 Yota確かに。精神力が試される仕事だね。Tashika ni. Seishinryoku ga tamesareru shigoto da ne.Definitely. It's a job that tests your mental strength.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 狙撃手, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
