Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 悪人 | akunin | [a̠kɯ̟ɲ̟ĩɴ] (narrow) |
| 悪党 | akutō | [a̠kɯ̟to̞ː] (narrow) |
| 悪漢 | akkan | [a̠k̚kã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
In Japanese, several words can describe a villain depending on whether you are talking about a person's character, a specific type of criminal or a role in a story. If you are referring specifically to a 'villain' as a character role in a movie, play or story, the term 悪役 is more commonly used than 悪人.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 悪人 (akunin) is composed of the characters for 'bad' (悪) and 'person' (人).
Which one should you use?
The different forms carry distinct nuances: 悪人 is a general term for a bad person or a criminal. In contrast, 悪党 carries a stronger nuance of a 'villain' or a 'scoundrel' in a more dramatic or rogue-like sense, often describing a notorious character like a bandit. 悪漢 is a more literary or archaic term for a villain or a scoundrel. Additionally, the informal term Warumono denotes a mischievous person or a wicked character.
How do you pronounce it?
akunin
Did you know?
- In some Buddhist contexts, the concept of a 'bad person' 悪人 (akunin) is viewed with compassion, suggesting that those who suffer most are the ones most likely to achieve enlightenment.
- In traditional Japanese theater like Kabuki, the 悪役 is often visually identified by the use of kumadori makeup, where red lines indicate a heroic character and blue or indigo lines mark a villain.
- In the world of professional wrestling, a 'villain' or 'heel' is referred to using the English-derived loanword ヒール (hiiru).
Examples in context
- 彼は映画で悪役を演じています。He is playing the villain in the movie.
- ドラマの悪役はとても魅力的だった。The villain in the drama was very fascinating.
- この映画の悪者はかなりコミカルだったよ！The villain in this movie was quite funny!
- アクション映画には必ず悪者が出てくる。Action movies always have villains popping up.
- 彼は昔から悪人だと言われている。Kare wa mukashi kara akunin da to iwarete iru.He has been called a scoundrel since long ago.
- そんな悪人の言葉を信じてはいけない。Sonna akunin no kotoba o shinjite wa ikenai.You must not believe the words of such a scoundrel.
- その悪人はすぐに捕まった。Sono akunin wa sugu ni tsukamatta.That scoundrel was caught immediately.
Example conversation
Yui and Yota are talking about a movie they just watched.
- 結衣 Yuiこの映画の悪人は本当に残酷ね。Kono eiga no akunin wa hontō ni zankoku ne.The villain in this movie is really cruel, isn't he?
- 陽太 Yotaそうだね。でも、理由はわかるよ。Sō da ne. Demo, riyū wa wakaru yo.Yeah. But I understand the reason why.
- 結衣 Yui陽太は悪人に共感するの？Yōta wa akunin ni kyōkan suru no?Yota, do you empathize with the villain?
- 陽太 Yota少しだけね。Sukoshi dake ne.Just a little bit.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “villain” translations and entries 悪人, 悪党, 悪漢, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
