How to say "guilt" in Japanese

• 有罪ゆうざいCommon
  no-adjectiveCovers guilt in the legal sense: a court's finding that a defendant is culpable. It is the word for a guilty verdict or being held guilty of a crime, not for a feeling of guilt.
  何なんもかも彼かれの有罪ゆうざいをしめしている。↗

  Everything points to his guilt.
• 罪科ざいか
  nounRefers to guilt as an offense or crime itself, in a formal, written register. It is less common and rarely the everyday word for guilt; avoid it when talking about a guilty feeling.
• ギルト
  nounA loanword corresponding to the emotional sense of guilt, the feeling of having done wrong. It is less common, and it does not fit legal contexts where 有罪 is used.

Use 有罪 for legal guilt as a verdict, 「ギルト」 for the emotion of guilt, and 罪科 for guilt as a formal charge or offense, remembering the last two are less common.

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

• 有罪ゆうざいguilt
• 罪科ざいかoffense
• 黒くろguilt
• ギルトguilt