How to say "parasite" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 寄生虫きせいちゅうnounThe usual word for a parasite in the biological sense: an organism, such as a worm, that lives on or in a host. This is the natural choice in everyday and medical contexts.
- nounThe loanword, less common than 寄生虫. It appears in borrowed expressions and titles, and can refer to a person who lives off others; for the organism itself, 寄生虫 is the usual choice.
- 寄生生物きせいせいぶつno-adjectiveA scientific term for a parasite as an organism — the wording of biology rather than everyday speech. For ordinary mention of parasites, 寄生虫 is the common word.
- 活物寄生かつぶつきせいnounA technical term for parasitism on a living host — the mode of life rather than the creature itself. It is seldom the word you want when translating 'parasite'; it belongs to specialized biological writing.
- 寄生者きせいしゃnounA less common word that suggests a person who lives off others — the figurative sense of 'parasite'. For the biological organism, 寄生虫 is the usual choice.
Use 寄生虫 for the everyday biological sense; 寄生生物 is the broader scientific term; 「パラサイト」 is the loanword, found in borrowed expressions and figurative talk; 寄生者 suggests a person living off others; 活物寄生 is a technical term for parasitism itself.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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