屠る
hofuru[ho̞ɸɯ̟ɾɯ̟]
To slaughter in Japanese is 屠る (hofuru). If unsure, use 屠る. Wiktionary also lists ばらす (barasu).
Meaning: to butcher animals, generally for food (verb)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 屠る | hofuru | [ho̞ɸɯ̟ɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
| ばらす | barasu | [ba̠ɾa̠sɨ] (narrow) |
The primary meaning of these terms is to butcher animals, generally for food. However, Japanese uses different words depending on whether you are referring to animals, the act of killing living beings in a religious sense or the massacre of humans.
Which one should you use?
屠る is specifically used for the slaughter of animals. In contrast, if you are referring to the slaughter or massacre of many people, you should use 虐殺, 惨殺 or 殺戮. For the general act of killing living beings in religious or philosophical contexts, such as in Buddhism, the term 殺生 is used.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
hofuru
Did you know?
- If you want to say someone 'exposed' a secret or 'revealed' a hidden truth, you can use the same verb, ばらす, that means to butcher an animal.
- The term ばらす can also mean 'to dismantle' or 'to take apart' machinery or furniture. In this context, it is a neutral term for disassembly rather than a violent act.
- The word ばらす is a relative of the common adjective ばらばら, which describes things being in complete disarray or scattered. This suggests the idea of slaughtering is linked to the act of taking something apart into pieces.
Examples in context
- 昔の人は家畜を屠る必要があった。mukashi no hito wa kachiku o hofuru hitsuyou ga atta.In the past, people needed to slaughter livestock.
- その儀式では動物を屠る。sono gishiki de wa doubutsu o hofuru.Animals are slaughtered during that ritual.
Example conversation
A historical documentary discussion between two friends.
- 大翔 Hiroto昔は、自分たちで動物を屠るのが普通だったんだよ。mukashi wa, jibuntachi de doubutsu o hofuru no ga futsuu datta nda yo.In the past, it was normal to slaughter animals themselves.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔君、それは少し残酷な響きがするね。hiroto-kun, sore wa sukoshi zankoku na hibiki ga suru ne.Hiroto, that sounds a bit cruel.
- 大翔 Hiroto生きるためには、動物を屠る必要があったんだ。ikiru tame ni wa, doubutsu o hofuru hitsuyou ga atta nda.To survive, it was necessary to slaughter animals.
- 美咲 Misaki確かに、時代の違いを感じるわ。tashika ni, jidai no chigai o kanjiru wa.True, I can feel the difference in the eras.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “slaughter” translations and entries 屠る, ばらす, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ばらす, CC BY-SA 4.0.
