スレイヤー
sureiyā
The English word "slayer" is translated into Japanese as スレイヤー (sureiyā).
The term スレイヤー is a direct borrowing from English used in informal situations. The term 退治屋 can be translated as 'exterminator' or 'hunter' and can encompass the meaning of a 'slayer'.
Meaning: one who slays (noun)
Which one should you use?
スレイヤー is a direct borrowing from English, whereas 退治屋 is a colloquial term.
How do you pronounce it?
sureiyā
Did you know?
- The character 屋 (ya) in 退治屋 typically refers to a shop or a merchant, suggesting that the act of slaying is treated as a commercial service or a trade.
- While スレイヤー (sureiyā) is a phonetic borrowing, the Japanese word for 'killing' is often expressed through the verb 殺す (korosu), but using it to name a profession can sound unnaturally blunt or even criminal in certain social contexts.
- In traditional Japanese, the suffix 殺し (koroshi) in 竜殺し focuses on the act of killing, whereas 退治 (taiji) focuses on the restoration of order by removing a threat.
Examples in context
- 「彼は優れた殺し手だ。」He is an excellent slayer.
- 「彼女は妖怪を退治する退治屋さんだ。」She is a slayer who exterminates demons.
- 彼は伝説のスレイヤーだ。Kare wa densetsu no sureiyaa da.He is a legendary slayer.
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are talking about a fantasy video game.
- 美咲 Misaki蓮はスレイヤーとしてプレイするの？Ren wa sureiyaa to shite purei suru no?Ren, do you play as a slayer?
- 蓮 Renうん、スレイヤーが一番好きだよ。Un, sureiyaa ga ichiban suki da yo.Yeah, I like the slayer the best.
- 美咲 Misakiそのスレイヤーはかっこいいね。Sono sureiyaa wa kakkoii ne.That slayer is cool, isn't he?
- 蓮 Renすごくかっこいいよ。Sugoku kakkoii yo.He is very cool.
