How to say "interrogation" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 尋問じんもんnoun, suru verb, transitive verbCovers 'interrogation' as intensive questioning of a person to draw out information — a suspect questioned by police, or the examination of a witness in court.
- 審問しんもんnoun, suru verb, transitive verbThough sometimes rendered 'interrogation', its senses are really trial, hearing, and inquiry — an official examination by a court or comparable body — so it is seldom the word for questioning a suspect.
Use 尋問 for interrogation in the sense of intensive questioning of a suspect or witness; 審問 really denotes a trial, hearing, or inquiry, so it suits 'interrogation' only in that official, procedural sense.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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