暴力
bōryoku[bo̞ːɾʲo̞kɯ̟]
The Japanese word for violence is 暴力 (bōryoku).
暴力 is a common word for violence and can be used to describe both physical violence and abstract forms of violence, such as psychological or structural violence.
Meaning: action intended to cause destruction, pain or suffering (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 暴力 is composed of the characters 暴 (bō), meaning 'violent/unruly' and 力 (ryoku), meaning 'power/strength'.
Which one should you use?
While 暴力 is the general term, 暴行 specifically refers to violent behavior or acts of violence, often indicating cruel or rough treatment. You may also see 暴力行為 used to mean 'violent behavior'. For a more casual context, the loanword バイオレンス is used to indicate violence.
How do you pronounce it?
bōryoku
Did you know?
- The character 暴 can also mean 'sudden' or 'rash', appearing in words like 暴雨 for a 'sudden rainstorm' or 暴走 for 'running wild'.
- In Japanese media and law, the phrase DV is frequently used as a shorthand for 'domestic violence', often appearing in text even when the surrounding language is not English.
- The character 力 in 暴力 is also used as a suffix to describe a person's innate ability or capacity, such as 体力 for 'physical strength' or 精神力 for 'willpower'.
Examples in context
- 私たちは暴力が嫌いだ。We abhor violence.This sentence shows how to express a hatred of 暴力.Tatoeba #165134 by bunbuku, translation #249371 by CM
- 暴力はどこにでもある。There's violence everywhere.This sentence illustrates the ubiquity of 暴力.Tatoeba #11234985 by KK_kaku_, translation #7120321 by CM
- 決して暴力に訴えてはいけない。You must never resort to violence.This sentence warns against resorting to 暴力.Tatoeba #175927 by tommy__san, translation #69472 by CK
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are discussing a news report about a conflict.
- 結衣 Yuiまた暴力的な事件が起きたね。Mata bōryokuteki na jiken ga okita ne.Another violent incident happened, didn't it?
- 健太 Kentaうん、暴力では何も解決しないよ。Un, bōryoku de wa nani mo kaiketsu shinai yo.Yeah, violence solves nothing.
- 結衣 Yui本当にそうだと思うわ。Hontō ni sō da to omou wa.I really think so too.
- 健太 Kenta話し合いで解決してほしいね。Hanashiai de kaiketsu shite hoshii ne.I hope they solve it through discussion.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “violence” translations and entries 暴力, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
