罪人
zainin[d͡za̠iɲ̟ĩɴ]
The Japanese word for "sinner" is 罪人 (zainin).
罪人 is used to describe a person who has sinned. While it can be used in a religious context, it is also frequently used in legal or general contexts to refer to a criminal or someone who has committed a wrongdoing.
Meaning: person who has sinned (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 罪人 can imply a moral or religious sinner, 犯罪者 is the standard term for a person who has committed a specific legal crime.
How do you pronounce it?
zainin
Did you know?
- Ancient Japanese traditions viewed 罪 not as a moral sin against a god, but as a form of 'pollution' or 'impurity'.
- In Japanese literature and Buddhism, the concept of 'sin' embodied in 罪 is often linked to 'debt' or 'fault', suggesting that a 'sinner' is someone who owes something to the cosmic order.
- If you use 罪人 to describe a common thief in a casual conversation, you might sound unintentionally dramatic, as if you are reciting lines from a tragic period drama.
Examples in context
- 彼は自らを罪人と呼んでいる。Kare wa mizukara o tsumibito to yonde iru.He calls himself a sinner.
- 罪人の心の痛みを知りたい。Tsumibito no kokoro no itami o shiritai.I want to know the pain of a sinner's heart.
- その物語には、多くの罪人が登場する。Sono monogatari ni wa, ooku no tsumibito ga toujou suru.Many sinners appear in that story.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a character in a novel.
- 健太 Kentaこの小説の主人公は、まるで罪人のようだね。Kono shousetsu no shujinkou wa, marude tsumibito no you da ne.The protagonist of this novel is just like a sinner, isn't he?
- 美咲 Misakiそうね、彼はとても苦しんでいるわ。Sou ne, kare wa totemo kurushinde iru wa.You're right, he is suffering very much.
- 健太 Kenta美咲さんは、彼をどう思う？Misaki-san wa, kare o dou omou?Misaki, what do you think of him?
- 美咲 Misaki私は、彼を許したいと思うわ。Watashi wa, kare o yurushitai to omou wa.I think I want to forgive him.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sinner” translations and entries 罪人, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
