How to say "offense" in Japanese

Choosing the right word

犯罪はんざいJLPT N3approx.Common
nounCovers 'offense' in the legal sense of a crime. Choose this when speaking of acts punishable by law, as in discussions of serious offenses and their punishment.
戦争せんそうは人類じんるいに対たいする犯罪はんざいだ。↗
War is a crime against humanity.
違反いはんJLPT N3approx.Common
noun, suru verb, intransitive verbCovers 'offense' as a violation or breach of a rule, law, or regulation. This is the word for lesser offenses such as traffic offenses, where the emphasis is on breaking a rule.
相あい次つぐ不祥事ふしょうじにも関かかわらず、警察けいさつはオメオメ違反いはん切符きっぷを切きっている。↗
Despite their own scandals, the police continue to make arrests as though nothing had happened at all.
せめJLPT N1approx.Common
nounCovers 'offense' in the sense of attack or assault, the opposite of defense, typically in games or competitive situations. It is not the word for a legal or moral offense.
犯行はんこうCommon
nounRefers to a specific criminal act or deed, as in referring to the offense a suspect is accused of committing. Use it when discussing the act itself rather than crime in general.
彼かれは犯行はんこうに及およんだと信しんじられていた。↗
He was believed to have committed the crime.

Use 犯罪 for a crime, 違反 for a violation or breach of rules, 犯行 for a specific criminal act, and 「せめ」 for an attack in sports or games.

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

Japanese equivalents

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