狙撃手
sogekishu[so̞ɡe̞kʲiɕɨ]
The English word 'sniper' can be translated into Japanese as 狙撃手 (sogekishu). If unsure, use 狙撃手. Wiktionary also lists スナイパー (sunaipā).
Meaning: a person using long-range small arms for precise attacks from a concealed position (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 狙撃手 | sogekishu | [so̞ɡe̞kʲiɕɨ] (narrow) |
| スナイパー | sunaipā |
A sniper is a person using long-range small arms for precise attacks from a concealed position.
Which one should you use?
狙撃手 (sogekishu) is the formal, technical term used in military or journalistic contexts. In contrast, スナイパー (sunaipā) is a loanword often used in casual conversation, video games or pop culture.
How do you pronounce it?
sogekishu
Did you know?
- The suffix 手 (shu) in 狙撃手 is not just a marker for a person, but is the same character used in words like 歌手 (kashu, 'singer') and 運転手 (untenshu, 'driver') to denote a skilled practitioner of a craft.
- The verb component 狙う (nerau), which forms the root of 狙撃 (sogeki), means 'to aim' or 'to target', and is used metaphorically in Japanese to describe someone aiming for a specific goal or prize.
- Because スナイパー (sunaipā) is a loanword, it is written in Katakana, which visually signals to a Japanese reader that the concept is an imported Western idea, often associated with media rather than traditional history.
Examples in context
- 狙撃兵の訓練は難しいですか？Is sniper training difficult?
- はい、狙撃兵になるには厳しい訓練が必要です。Yes, becoming a sniper requires rigorous training.
- 最近、狙撃者に関する本を読みました。I recently read a book about snipers.
- 彼は凄腕の狙撃手だ。Kare wa sugoude no sogikushu da.He is a skilled sniper.
Example conversation
Youta and Himari are discussing a movie they just watched.
- 陽太 Yotaあの映画の狙撃手はすごかったね。Ano eiga no sogekishū wa sugokatta ne.The sniper in that movie was amazing, wasn't he?
- 陽葵 Himari本当だね。すごく正確だったよ。Hontō da ne. Sugoku seikaku datta yo.True. He was very precise.
- 陽太 Yotaあんな風に隠れるのは難しいだろうな。Anna fū ni kakureru no wa muzukashii darō na.It must be hard to hide like that.
- 陽葵 Himariきっと厳しい訓練を受けているんだよ。Kitto kibishii kunren o ukete iru n da yo.I'm sure they undergo rigorous training.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sniper” translations and entries 狙撃手, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
