殺人 em 30 segundos
- 殺人 (Satsujin) means murder or homicide. It is a formal noun consisting of the kanji for 'kill' and 'person'.
- It is primarily used in news, legal contexts, and crime fiction. It is rarely used in casual conversation except when discussing media.
- Common compounds include 殺人事件 (murder case) and 殺人犯 (murderer). It is distinct from the verb 'korosu' (to kill).
- Culturally, it carries a heavy weight in Japan due to the country's low crime rate and strict legal system regarding violent crimes.
The term 殺人 (Satsujin) is a fundamental yet heavy word in the Japanese lexicon, representing the gravest of criminal acts: the taking of a human life. Composed of two kanji—殺 (to kill) and 人 (person)—it literally translates to 'person-killing.' While the concept is simple, its application in Japanese society, law, and media is nuanced and strictly regulated by context. Unlike the casual or metaphorical use of 'kill' in English (e.g., 'this workout is killing me'), satsujin is almost exclusively reserved for the literal, physical act of homicide.
- Legal Definition
- Under the Japanese Penal Code, Article 199, it refers to the intentional killing of another human being.
- Societal Weight
- In Japan, a country with a historically low homicide rate, the word carries a profound sense of shock and social disruption.
- Media Usage
- It is the standard term used in news broadcasts (ニュース) and newspapers (新聞) to report on violent crimes.
"警察は殺人事件として捜査を開始した。" (The police have begun an investigation as a murder case.)
"殺人は許されない罪です。" (Murder is an unforgivable crime.)
- Kanji Breakdown: 殺
- The left side represents a weapon or tool, and the right side represents a strike, signifying the act of taking life.
- Kanji Breakdown: 人
- The pictograph of a standing human being, indicating the target of the act.
"彼は殺人の疑いで逮捕された。" (He was arrested on suspicion of murder.)
"その映画は殺人犯を追う刑事の物語だ。" (That movie is a story of a detective chasing a murderer.)
Using 殺人 correctly requires understanding its grammatical function as a noun. While in English 'murder' can be both a noun and a verb, in Japanese, satsujin is primarily a noun. To express the action, one usually attaches it to other nouns to form compounds or uses the verb korosu (殺す) or the more formal satsugai suru (殺害する).
- As a Compound: It frequently combines with other nouns: 殺人事件 (murder case), 殺人犯 (murderer), 殺人未遂 (attempted murder).
- In Formal Reports: When describing the crime itself, the phrase 殺人罪 (the crime of murder) is used in legal contexts.
- Hyperbolic Use: Occasionally, you might see it in phrases like 殺人的な暑さ (murderous/deadly heat), though this is more common in casual, descriptive speech to emphasize extreme conditions.
"昨夜、この町で殺人事件が起きた。" (A murder case occurred in this town last night.)
You will encounter 殺人 in several specific domains of Japanese life and media. Its presence is ubiquitous in fiction, particularly in the 'mystery' (ミステリー) genre which is immensely popular in Japan.
- News Media
- NHK and other broadcasters use it daily in crime reporting. You'll hear phrases like 'satsujin yōgi' (suspicion of murder).
- Anime and Manga
- Series like 'Detective Conan' (名探偵コナン) use this word in almost every episode. The phrase 'Satsujin jiken da!' (It's a murder case!) is a trope.
- Legal Settings
- In courtrooms and legal documents, it is the standard technical term.
Learners often make mistakes by treating 殺人 exactly like the English word 'murder'.
- Incorrect Verb Usage: Avoid saying 'Satsujin suru'. While technically understandable, it sounds unnatural. Use 殺害する (satsugai suru) for 'to commit murder' or 殺す (korosu) for 'to kill'.
- Confusion with 'Death': Don't confuse it with shibō (死亡 - death) or shisatsu (刺殺 - stabbing to death). Satsujin is the category of the crime, not just the state of being dead.
- Tone Mismatch: Using satsujin in a joke can be seen as much more offensive in Japanese culture than in some Western cultures, as the word carries a very clinical, dark weight.
Understanding the synonyms helps refine your vocabulary precision.
- 殺害 (Satsugai)
- The act of killing. This is the verb-form noun (殺害する) used in news to describe the action.
- 他殺 (Tasatsu)
- Homicide (as opposed to suicide). Used by medical examiners and police to indicate death caused by another person.
- 暗殺 (Ansatsu)
- Assassination. Killing a high-profile person for political reasons.
- 屠殺 (Tosatsu)
- Slaughter. Specifically used for animals in a commercial context.
How Formal Is It?
Nível de dificuldade
Gramática essencial
Passive voice (for being killed)
Compound nouns
Nominalization with 'koto' and 'no'
Causative-passive
Legal terminology register
Exemplos por nível
殺人は悪いです。
Murder is bad.
Simple noun + wa + adjective.
これは殺人事件ですか？
Is this a murder case?
Noun + desu ka (question).
テレビで殺人のニュースを見ました。
I saw news of a murder on TV.
Noun + no + Noun (possession/category).
殺人はこわいです。
Murder is scary.
Subject marker 'wa' with an i-adjective.
彼は殺人をしましたか？
Did he commit murder?
Direct object 'o' + shimashita (past tense).
殺人はいけません。
Murder is not allowed.
Standard phrase for 'must not/not allowed'.
殺人犯はだれですか？
Who is the murderer?
Compound noun: 殺人 + 犯 (criminal).
この本は殺人の話です。
This book is a story about murder.
Topic marker 'wa' + description.
警察は殺人の証拠を探しています。
The police are looking for evidence of the murder.
Continuous form ~te imasu.
昨日の夜、殺人がありました。
There was a murder last night.
Arimashita (existence of an event).
彼は殺人の罪でつかまりました。
He was caught for the crime of murder.
Passive voice 'tsukamaru'.
殺人事件のニュースが流れた。
News of a murder case was broadcast.
Simple past 'nagareta'.
殺人を計画するのは犯罪です。
Planning a murder is a crime.
Nominalizing a verb phrase with 'no'.
彼女は殺人の現場を見ました。
She saw the scene of the murder.
Genba (scene/site).
殺人の理由は分かりません。
The reason for the murder is unknown.
Riyū (reason).
その映画には殺人のシーンがあります。
There is a murder scene in that movie.
Ni wa (location of existence).
犯人は殺人の動機を語り始めた。
The criminal began to talk about the motive for the murder.
Dōki (motive).
殺人を防ぐために警察が巡回している。
Police are patrolling to prevent murder.
Tame ni (in order to).
彼は殺人未遂の疑いで逮捕された。
He was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
Satsujin misui (attempted murder).
この町では十年間、殺人が起きていない。
In this town, no murders have occurred for ten years.
Negative continuous form.
殺人のニュースを聞いて、住民は不安になった。
Hearing the news of the murder, the residents became anxious.
Te-form for cause/reason.
彼は殺人犯として一生を刑務所で過ごした。
He spent his whole life in prison as a murderer.
As 'toshite' (role/capacity).
殺人と過失致死は法律的に異なります。
Murder and involuntary manslaughter are legally different.
Comparison using 'to'.
殺人をテーマにした小説を書く。
I will write a novel with murder as its theme.
O tēma ni shita (themed around).
その男は冷酷な殺人を繰り返した。
The man repeatedly committed cold-blooded murders.
Adjective 'reikoku' (cold-blooded).
殺人の時効が廃止されたことを知っていますか？
Do you know that the statute of limitations for murder was abolished?
Noun clause with 'koto'.
検察側は彼を殺人罪で起訴した。
The prosecution indicted him on murder charges.
Legal term 'kiso' (indict).
殺人の背景には複雑な人間関係があった。
There were complex human relationships behind the murder.
Haikei (background/context).
大量殺人は社会に大きな衝撃を与えた。
The mass murder gave a great shock to society.
Tairyō satsujin (mass murder).
殺人を肯定するような思想は危険だ。
Ideologies that seem to affirm murder are dangerous.
Kōtei suru (affirm/approve).
彼は殺人現場の状況を詳しく説明した。
He explained the situation at the murder scene in detail.
Jōkyō (situation/circumstances).
殺人事件の捜査は難航している。
The investigation of the murder case is running into difficulties.
Nankō (rough sailing/difficulties).
死刑制度の是非は、殺人の凶悪性と密接に関わっている。
The pros and cons of the death penalty are closely related to the heinousness of murder.
Kyōakusei (atrocity/heinousness).
嘱託殺人という倫理的難問に直面する。
Facing the ethical dilemma known as murder by request.
Shokutaku satsujin (assisted/requested murder).
その猟奇的殺人は、戦後最大のミステリーとされた。
That bizarre murder was considered the greatest mystery of the post-war era.
Ryōkiteki (bizarre/grotesque).
殺人の心理を分析する犯罪心理学の権威。
An authority in criminal psychology who analyzes the psychology of murder.
Ken'i (authority).
無差別殺人は、現代社会の歪みを象徴している。
Indiscriminate murder symbolizes the distortions of modern society.
Musabetsu (indiscriminate).
殺人の連鎖を断ち切るためには、教育が不可欠だ。
Education is essential to break the chain of murder.
Rensa (chain/cycle).
彼は殺人容疑を全面的に否認している。
He completely denies the murder charges.
Zenmenteki ni hinin (complete denial).
過剰防衛が殺人に発展するケースも少なくない。
There are many cases where excessive self-defense develops into murder.
Kajō bōei (excessive defense).
法哲学の観点から殺人の本質を考察する。
Considering the essence of murder from the perspective of legal philosophy.
Kanten (perspective).
殺人の構成要件を厳密に定義する必要がある。
It is necessary to strictly define the constituent elements of murder.
Kōsei yōken (constituent elements).
尊厳死と嘱託殺人の境界線は極めて曖昧である。
The line between death with dignity and assisted murder is extremely blurred.
Kyōkaisen (boundary line).
殺人の隠蔽工作が、皮肉にも犯人特定の手がかりとなった。
The cover-up of the murder ironically became the clue to identifying the perpetrator.
Inpei kōsaku (cover-up operation).
未必の故意による殺人が認められた事例。
A case where murder by willful negligence (dolus eventualis) was recognized.
Mihitsu no koi (willful negligence).
殺人の動機が怨恨であるか利欲であるかは、量刑に大きく影響する。
Whether the motive for murder is resentment or greed greatly affects the sentencing.
Ryōkei (sentencing).
国家による殺人と定義される戦争の矛盾。
The contradiction of war, which is defined as murder by the state.
Mujun (contradiction).
殺人の深層心理を抉り出すような文学作品。
A literary work that gouges out the deep-seated psychology of murder.
Shinsō shinri (deep psychology).
Colocações comuns
Frases Comuns
Frequentemente confundido com
Expressões idiomáticas
Fácil de confundir
Padrões de frases
Como usar
Refers specifically to human victims.
Can be used for 'murderous heat' or 'murderous schedule'.
- Using it for animals.
- Saying 'satsujin suru'.
- Confusing with 'jisatsu' (suicide).
- Using it for accidental deaths.
- Mispronouncing 'tsu' as 'su'.
Dicas
Kanji Tip
The 'person' radical is on the right of 殺. Don't forget the small strokes.
Media Tip
If you hear 'satsujin' on the news, it's almost always followed by 'jiken'.
Compound Tip
Learning 'satsujin' helps you learn 'han' (criminal) in 'satsujin-han'.
Culture Tip
Japan has a very high conviction rate for murder cases.
Grammar Tip
Treat it as a pure noun. It doesn't take 'suru' naturally.
Mnemonic Tip
Satsu = Slash, Jin = Person. Slash-Person.
Reading Tip
The 'satsu' reading is common in many violent words.
Listening Tip
News anchors speak this word with a very serious, flat intonation.
Writing Tip
In fiction, 'satsujin' is often written in katakana for stylistic effect.
Social Tip
Avoid using this word in public places like airports or crowded trains.
Memorize
Origem da palavra
Sino-Japanese (Kango)
Contexto cultural
Japanese news uses very specific terminology for suspects (e.g., 'yōgisha') in murder cases.
Detective Conan is the most famous source for this word for many learners.
Pratique na vida real
Contextos reais
Iniciadores de conversa
"最近、殺人事件のニュースを見ましたか？"
"好きな殺人ミステリー小説はありますか？"
"この映画には殺人のシーンがありますか？"
"日本の殺人率は低いと言われていますね。"
"殺人未遂と殺人の違いは何だと思いますか？"
Temas para diário
ミステリー小説で殺人が起きた時の感想を書いてください。
なぜ殺人は最大の罪とされるのか、自分の考えを書いてください。
ニュースで殺人事件を見た時、どう感じますか？
「殺人的な暑さ」という表現を使ったことがありますか？
正当防衛と殺人の境界について書いてください。
Perguntas frequentes
10 perguntasIt is grammatically understandable but sounds very 'translation-ese'. Natives use 'satsugai suru' or 'korosu'.
No, 'jin' means person. For animals, use 'tosatsu' (slaughter) or 'korosu' (kill).
It means a 'murderous fiend' or a serial killer.
Generally no. It is a very heavy word in Japanese culture.
It is 'satsujin misui' (殺人未遂).
It is Heiban (flat), meaning the pitch stays high after the first syllable.
The kanji is N2, but the word is so common in media that even A1/N5 students encounter it.
It's an adjective meaning 'extreme' or 'deadly' (e.g., heat).
殺人 is the name of the crime; 殺害 is the act of killing someone.
Yes, 'tairyō satsujin' (大量殺人).
Teste-se 180 perguntas
/ 180 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
殺人 is the formal, clinical term for the crime of murder. Use it as a noun to describe cases or criminals, but use the verb 'satsugai suru' or 'korosu' to describe the action of killing.
- 殺人 (Satsujin) means murder or homicide. It is a formal noun consisting of the kanji for 'kill' and 'person'.
- It is primarily used in news, legal contexts, and crime fiction. It is rarely used in casual conversation except when discussing media.
- Common compounds include 殺人事件 (murder case) and 殺人犯 (murderer). It is distinct from the verb 'korosu' (to kill).
- Culturally, it carries a heavy weight in Japan due to the country's low crime rate and strict legal system regarding violent crimes.
Kanji Tip
The 'person' radical is on the right of 殺. Don't forget the small strokes.
Media Tip
If you hear 'satsujin' on the news, it's almost always followed by 'jiken'.
Compound Tip
Learning 'satsujin' helps you learn 'han' (criminal) in 'satsujin-han'.
Culture Tip
Japan has a very high conviction rate for murder cases.
Exemplo
殺人事件です。
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