スパイ行為
supai kōi
The English phrase "spying" is translated into Japanese as スパイ行為 (supai kōi).
スパイ行為 refers to the act of secretly collecting information about an enemy or competitor. It is used in both legal contexts to describe espionage and general contexts such as corporate or political spying.
What does it mean word for word?
スパイ行為 is a compound consisting of the loanword スパイ (supai), meaning "spy" and the kanji-based noun 行為 (kōi), meaning "act" or "conduct".
Which one should you use?
While スパイ行為 refers to the act of spying itself, the alternative スパイ活動 (supai katsudō) is commonly used to describe ongoing spy operations or activities.
How do you pronounce it?
supai kōi
Did you know?
- Japanese has a specific word 覗き (nozoki) for a type of spying that involves peeping. Unlike the general スパイ行為, this term carries a strong social and legal connotation of voyeurism.
- The word 行為 (kōi) in スパイ行為 is the same term used in Japanese law to describe 'criminal acts'. This gives the phrase a much heavier, more legalistic tone than the English word 'spying'.
- In modern Japanese pop culture, 'spying' is often associated with the term 潜入 (sennyū), which means 'infiltrating'. This word is used more frequently in anime and manga than the formal スパイ行為.
Examples in context
- 彼はスパイ活動を行っていると噂されています。He is rumored to be engaging in spying activities.
- 彼がのぞき見をしているところを見たよ！I saw him peeping at something!
- 彼女の手紙をこっそり盗み見たんだ。I secretly stole a look at her letter.
- 彼はスパイ行為で逮捕された。Kare wa supai koui de taiho sareta.He was arrested for spying.
- スパイ行為は重大な犯罪です。Supai koui wa juudai na hanzai desu.Spying is a serious crime.
- ライバル会社のスパイ行為を疑っている。Raibaru kaisha no supai koui o utagatte iru.I suspect spying by a rival company.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are discussing a suspicious incident at their office.
- 美咲 Misakiスパイ行為があったのかもしれないね。Supai koui ga atta no kamoshirenai ne.There might have been some spying.
- 健太 Kentaまさか、そんなはずはないよ。Masaka, sonna hazu wa nai yo.No way, that can't be true.
- 美咲 Misaki健太さんはどう思う？Kenta-san wa dou omou?Kenta, what do you think?
- 健太 Kenta少し慎重に調べたほうがいいよ。Sukoshi shinchou ni shirabeta hou ga ii yo.We should investigate it carefully.
