The Meaning of satsujin [殺人] In Japanese
殺人
さつじん
Romaji: satsujin
N1
What does 殺人 mean?
Translation and Meaning
murder, homicide, killing
Definition
What does 殺人 (satsujin) mean? It means murder: the deliberate killing of one person by another, used to describe an act considered a criminal offense under Japanese law and a moral/social wrongdoing; the term identifies the deed itself rather than legal procedures or verdicts.
Type
noun (名詞), compound noun (複合名詞)
Stroke Order
Meanings
- 1. Legal category in criminal law distinguishing intentional killing from accidental death or negligence.
- 2. A headline or news label used to describe events involving a victim killed by another person.
- 3. Appears in compound terms to indicate related crimes or statuses, such as attempted or suspected cases.
Origin
The concept of killing another person has existed throughout Japanese history, but the modern legal framing of 殺人 arose with the Meiji-era codification of criminal law in the late 19th century, which adapted Western legal categories to define and criminalize intentional homicide; earlier periods treated killings under different social and customary systems.
Composition
- 殺 (satsu): kill, slaughter, to take life; originally depicts violent action.
- 人 (jin / hito): person, human being.
- Together, the two kanji form a compound that literally reads as “kill + person,” yielding the meaning “killing a person” or “murder.”
Usage
Commonly used in formal contexts such as police reports, news articles, legal documents and courtroom language to label acts of intentional killing; in everyday speech it appears mainly when discussing crimes, historical incidents, fiction, or legal consequences and is generally not used casually among friends.
💡 Tips
Remember 殺人 by picturing satsu sounding like “satsu=slay” and jin meaning person; slay + person = murder.
Variations
- 殺害 (satsugai) — killing, often used interchangeably but can emphasize the act rather than the legal label.
- 殺人事件 (satsujin jiken) — murder case, used in news and legal contexts.
- 殺人未遂 (satsujin misui) — attempted murder, related legal term.
- 故意による致死 (ko’i ni yoru chishi) — death by intent, a legal phrasing sometimes contrasted with manslaughter.
