ヤクザ
yakuzaalternative form
The English phrase "yakuza" is translated into Japanese as ヤクザ. Wiktionary also lists やくざ (yakuza).
Meaning: member of a Japanese organized crime gang (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ヤクザ | yakuza | alternative form | |
| やくざ | yakuza | [ja̠kɯ̟za̠] (narrow) |
ヤクザ refers to a member of a Japanese organized crime gang. In media and conversation, the term is also frequently used to describe the specific subculture associated with these groups or the genre of crime films. A more dramatic synonym for the underworld or the lifestyle of a member is 極道.
How do you pronounce it?
yakuza
Did you know?
- Members of the ヤクザ often perform 指詰め (yubitsume), the ritual act of cutting off a finger joint as an apology or a sign of atonement to their boss.
- Unlike the 'Mafia' in the West, some ヤクザ groups operate as legal businesses with public office buildings and official corporate names.
- The word ヤクザ is derived from the numbers 8, 9 and 3. In a traditional card game, these three numbers combined to make the worst possible hand, symbolizing someone useless or a misfit.
Examples in context
- 『極道の妻たち』は、1986年、東映配給網により公開されたヤクザ映画。"Gang Wives" is a Yakuza movie released in 1986 by Toei Distribution Network.This sentence shows how the term ヤクザ is used to categorize a specific type of film.Tatoeba #74168 by fcbond, translation #329552 by fcbond
- 警察はヤクザの勢力拡大を抑えるために取り締まりを強化しました。The police have strengthened their crackdown to suppress the Yakuza's expansion.
- 関西では、極道様と呼ばれることもあるよ。In Kansai, they are sometimes referred to as "Gokudou-sama."
- 彼は昔、ヤクザだったらしい。Kare wa mukashi, yakuza datta rashii.I heard he used to be a yakuza.
- あの映画にはヤクザが登場する。Ano eiga ni wa yakuza ga toujou suru.Yakuza appear in that movie.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a crime drama they watched on TV.
- 蓮 Renこのドラマの主人公はヤクザだね。Kono dorama no shujinkou wa yakuza da ne.The protagonist of this drama is a yakuza, isn't he?
- 陽葵 Himariとても強そうで、かっこいいキャラクターだわ。Totemo tsuyosou de, kakkoii kyarakutaa da wa.He's a very strong and cool character.
- 蓮 Renでも、やっぱり少し怖いイメージがあるよ。Demo, yappari sukoshi kowai imeeji ga aru yo.But, I still have a slightly scary image of them.
- 陽葵 Himariそうね、現実では近づかないほうがいいわ。Sou ne, genjitsu de wa chikadukanai hou ga ii wa.True, in real life, it's better not to go near them.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yakuza” translations and entries ヤクザ, やくざ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries やくざ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
