How to say "incident" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 事件じけんnounCovers 'incident' as a noteworthy event, typically involving crime, wrongdoing, or trouble that draws official or public attention; think of crime reports, police matters, or scandals.
- 事故じこnounCovers 'incident' in the sense of an unintended mishap — a traffic, industrial, or similar accident; use it when the incident is a mishap rather than a deliberate or criminal event.
- 出来事できごとnounThe neutral word for something that happened — an occurrence or happening; it fits 'incident' when you simply mean an event, without implying crime, accident, or gravity.
- 沙汰さたnoun, suru verb, transitive verbReally refers to an affair or matter at issue rather than a concrete incident; it turns up chiefly in set expressions, so it is seldom the word you want for 'incident'.
- 事変じへんnounCovers 'incident' in the sense of a grave, large-scale upheaval such as an uprising or disaster; it is far too weighty for ordinary incidents, which call for 事件 or 事故.
Choose 事件 for a notable incident such as a crime, 事故 for an accidental mishap, 出来事 for a neutral happening, 事変 for a grave large-scale upheaval, and 沙汰 only in fixed expressions for affairs.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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