奴隷
dorei[do̞ɾe̞ː]
The Japanese word for "slave" is 奴隷 (dorei).
奴隷 refers to a person owned by another. While it can refer to historical chattel slavery, it is frequently used metaphorically in modern Japanese to describe someone who is a "slave to" a habit or a system, such as "work slave" (労働の奴隷).
Meaning: person owned by another (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the kanji 奴 (servant/slave) and 隷 (servant/slave/subordinate).
How does it change in a sentence?
To use 奴隷 as an adjective to modify a noun, you add the particle の after it, forming 奴隷の (slave's / of a slave).
How do you pronounce it?
dorei
Did you know?
- In modern Japanese slang, the term 社畜 (shachiku), which literally means 'company livestock', is often used to describe a person who is a slave to their job.
- The character 隷 originally depicted a harness or a leash, symbolizing the physical restraint of a servant.
- While 奴隷 is the formal term, the ancient Japanese word tome referred to a specific type of bonded servant, reflecting a social hierarchy different from Western chattel slavery.
Examples in context
- トムはメアリーを奴隷のように扱った。Tom treated Mary like a slave.This sentence shows how to use 奴隷 to describe treating someone like a slave.Tatoeba #3036574 by tommy_san, translation #1092640 by CK
- 性的奴隷／性奴隷A sex slaveThis example shows the term used in the context of a sex slave.
- 私は奴隷です。I'm a slave.This sentence is a simple declaration of being a slave using 奴隷.Tatoeba #10737546 by megamanenm, translation #10204809 by shekitten
- 古代ローマでは、奴隷は広範囲で使用されていました。(Kodai Rōma de wa, dorei wa kōhan'i de shiyō sa remashita.)In ancient Rome, slaves were widely used.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are discussing a historical drama they just watched.
- 蓮 Renあの映画では、多くの奴隷が登場していたね。Ano eiga dewa, ooku no dorei ga toujou shite ita ne.Many slaves appeared in that movie, didn't they?
- 陽葵 Himariうん、とても悲しい歴史の物語だった。Un, totemo kanashii rekishi no monogatari datta.Yes, it was a very sad historical story.
- 蓮 Ren陽葵は、その結末をどう思った？Himari wa, sono ketsumatsu wo dou omotta?Himari, what did you think of the ending?
- 陽葵 Himari心が痛むような展開だったよ。Kokoro ga itamu youna tenkai datta yo.The developments were heart-wrenching.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “slave” translations and entries 奴隷, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
