How to say "prisoner" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 囚人しゅうじんnounA person held in a prison, especially one serving a sentence; close to 'convict'. Use it for jail or prison inmates, not for captives taken in war.
- 捕虜ほりょnounA prisoner of war: someone captured by an enemy force in wartime; this is the word for 'POW'. It is not the word for an ordinary prison inmate.
- 虜とりこnounA captive, someone taken and held by another. The other words are more specific for prison inmates and prisoners of war; 虜 is also used figuratively of someone captivated by a person or pursuit.
Use 囚人 for someone confined in a prison, 捕虜 for a prisoner of war or military captive, and 虜 for a captive in the broadest sense, including figurative captivity to a feeling or pursuit.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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