How to say "bandit" in Japanese

• 山賊さんぞくCommon
  nounCovers the prototypical sense of 'bandit': an armed robber operating in mountainous or rural country and preying on travelers. The first character means 'mountain', and the word keeps that image.
  山賊さんぞくがその村むらを襲おそった。↗

  The bandits made a raid on the village.
• 盗賊とうぞくCommon
  nounA broader word: it covers 'thief', 'robber' and 'burglar' as well as 'bandit'. For the mountain-robber image of 'bandit', 山賊 is the more precise choice.
  ここでは盗賊とうぞくにご用心ようじん。↗

  Watch out for thieves around here.

Use 山賊 for the prototypical image of a bandit — an armed robber operating in mountainous or rural country; use 盗賊 for a thief or robber in general, where 'bandit' is only one of the senses covered.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 山賊さんぞくbandit
• 盗賊とうぞくthief
• バンディットbandit
• 匪賊ひぞくbandit
• 匪徒ひとbandit
• 山立ちやまだちbandit
• 野盗やとうbrigand
• 追いはぎおいはぎhighwayman
• 賊徒ぞくとrebels