How to say "manslaughter" in Japanese

Choosing the right word

殺人さつじんJLPT N1approx.Common
noun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbThe common, general word for the killing of a person, covering murder and homicide; it fits 'manslaughter' when you mean the killing broadly rather than the specific offense. Typical of news reports of killings.
彼かれは殺人さつじん以外いがいのことなら何なんでもするだろう。↗
He will do anything but murder.
傷害致死しょうがいちし
nounThe precise legal term for manslaughter as a death caused by bodily injury rather than intent to kill; less common than 殺人, it is the word for this specific offense in legal contexts.

Use 殺人 for killing a person in general, including the broad sense of homicide; use 傷害致死 when you mean the specific legal offense of causing death through bodily injury rather than deliberate killing.

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

Japanese equivalents

殺人さつじんmurder
傷害致死しょうがいちしmanslaughter
故殺こさつ(voluntary) manslaughter

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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