Translation and Meaning of: 犯人 - hannin

Etymology of 「犯人」

The word 「犯人」 (hannin) in Japanese is made up of two kanji: 「犯」 and 「人」. The kanji 「犯」 (han) means "crime" or "offense," while 「人」 (nin) means "person." Together, they form the expression for "criminal" or "perpetrator of a crime." The combination of these characters reflects the idea of a person who has committed an infraction or offense.

Definition and Use of 「犯人」

In everyday language, 「犯人」 is used to refer to someone who has committed an illegal or immoral act. It is a common word in legal and journalistic contexts, where it is used to describe a person involved in criminal activities. However, its use may vary depending on the severity of the crime and the context in which the word is applied.

Origin and Contextualization

The origin of the kanji used in the word traces back to ancient China, where the characters had similar meanings. The adoption and adaptation of kanji by Japan shaped Japanese words and expressions over time. 「犯人」 remains an essential part of the vocabulary used to describe crimes, from minor offenses to serious crimes.

• Offense (han): Related to the act of committing or violating something, originating from the concept of transgression.
• 人 (nin): Common in many Japanese words, denoting the idea of a person or human being.

The word 「犯人」 is also present in related expressions, such as 「容疑者」 (yougisha), which means "suspect," indicating someone who could be the 「犯人」. The use of these words in the media and in police operations highlights the need for precision when discussing criminal matters, thus addressing different aspects of the investigative and judicial process.

Vocabulary

Expand your vocabulary with related words:

Synonyms and similar words

• 犯罪者 (Hanzai-sha) - Person who commits a crime.
• 罪人 (Zainin) - Guilty person, often used in more formal or literary contexts.
• 罪犯 (Zaihan) - Individual who commits a crime, similar to 犯罪者, but less common.
• 犯人者 (Hannin-sha) - A person who is a criminal, seldom used in everyday language.
• 加害者 (Kagaisha) - Person who causes harm or crime to another, focusing on the act of offending.
• 犯した人 (Okashita hito) - Individual who committed a criminal act, emphasizing the action taken.
• 犯人たち (Hannin-tachi) - Several criminals or people who committed crimes, plural of 犯人.

犯人

Romaji: hannin
Kana: はんにん
Type: Noun
L: jlpt-n3

Translation / Meaning: delinquent; criminal

Meaning in English: offender;criminal

Definition: a person who committed a crime.

Example Sentences - (犯人) hannin

See below some example sentences:

警察は犯人を確保しました。

Keisatsu wa hannin o kakuho shimashita

The police arrested the criminal.

The police secured the culprit.

• 警察 (keisatsu) - police
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 犯人 (han'nin) - criminal
• を (wo) - direct object particle
• 確保 (kakuhou) - captured
• しました (shimashita) - Polite past tense of the verb "to do."

この事件の推定犯人は誰ですか？

Kono jiken no suitei hannin wa dare desu ka?

Who is the suspect in this incident?

Who is the estimated culprit in this case?

• この - demonstrative "this"
• 事件 - noun "incident"
• の - possessive particle "of"
• 推定 - noun "estimate"
• 犯人 - noun "criminal"
• は - topic particle "は"
• 誰 - interrogative pronoun "who"
• ですか - interrogative particle "is?"

この犯人は警察に手配されています。

Kono hannin wa keisatsu ni tehai sarete imasu

This criminal is being sought by the police.

The criminal is organized by the police.

• この - demonstrative pronoun that means "this"
• 犯人 - noun that means "criminal"
• は - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• 警察 - noun that means "police"
• に - Particle indicating the target of the action
• 手配 - noun that means "wanted"
• されています - passive form of the verb "suru", which indicates that the action was done by the subject and not by the agent. In this case, it means "was sought"

犯人は逃げた。

Hannin wa nigeta

The criminal fled.

The guilty one has fled.

• 犯人 - criminal
• は - Topic particle
• 逃げた - fugiu