How to say "kidnap" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 連れ去るつれさるgodan verb, transitive verbThe common, general word: it means to take a person away, carry them off from where they are. When you just need to say someone was kidnapped or abducted, this is the default choice.
- 拉致るらちるgodan verb, transitive verbIt means the same as 'to kidnap; to abduct', but it is a less common, slangy word. Seldom the word you want for ordinary contexts; 連れ去る covers this ground more neutrally.
- godan verb, transitive verbCovers kidnapping done by force or deception — taking or snatching a victim away. It is less common than 連れ去る and is usually written in kana alone.
- godan verb, transitive verbThis is a variant of かどわかす, meaning simply 'to kidnap'. It is the less common form, so in practice you will almost always want かどわかす instead.
- godan verb, transitive verbA colloquial word for snatching a person away, carrying them off. Because it is colloquial, it is not the neutral choice in careful writing; use 連れ去る there.
Use 「連れ去る」 as the common, general word for taking someone away; 「かどわかす」 when the kidnapping involves force or deception; 「拉致る」 is slangy, 「ひっさらう」 colloquial, and 「かどわす」 a less common variant.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
