裏切り者
uragirimono[ɯ̟ɾa̠ɡʲiɾʲimo̞no̞]
In Japanese, "you're a rat" is expressed as 裏切り者 (uragirimono).
This expression is used as an insult to describe someone who betrays their friends or associates.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "You are a rat" in a declarative way, you add the copula だ (da) to the end of the noun, resulting in 裏切り者だ.
How do you pronounce it?
uragirimono
Did you know?
- While English uses the animal 'rat' to signify a snitch, the Japanese term 裏切り者 contains no animal imagery at all, focusing instead on the act of 'turning one's back'.
- The verb stem 裏切る (uragiru) suggests the physical movement of turning around to face the opposite direction, an action that symbolizes abandoning an ally.
- The suffix 者 (mono) is a formal way to denote a person, making the insult 裏切り者 sound cold and definitive rather than just a casual slur.
Examples in context
- 君は裏切り者だ。kimi wa uragirimono da.You are a rat.
- あいつは最低の裏切り者だよ。aitsu wa saitei no uragirimono da yo.He is the lowest kind of rat.
- 裏切り者は許さない。uragirimono wa yurusanai.I won't forgive a rat.
Example conversation
Two friends are arguing after one shared a secret.
- 結衣 Yui信じていたのに、裏切り者！Shinjite ita noni, uragirimono!I trusted you, you rat!
- 大翔 Hirotoごめん、つい口が滑ったんだ。Gomen, tsui kuchi ga subetta n da.Sorry, it just slipped out.
- 結衣 Yuiもう二度と顔を見せないで。Mou nidoto kao o misenaide.Don't ever show your face to me again.
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣、本当に申し訳ない。Yui, hontou ni moushiwakunai.Yui, I am truly sorry.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 裏切り者, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
