How to say "sabotage" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 妨害ぼうがいnoun, suru verb, transitive verbCovers sabotage as deliberate obstruction: hindering or thwarting someone's plans, efforts, or activities. It centers on getting in the way rather than physical destruction, and is the common everyday word.
- 怠業たいぎょうnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbA less common word covering sabotage as a labor tactic: workers deliberately slowing down or holding back output, as in an industrial dispute. Think 'slow-down tactics' rather than damage to property.
- 妨業ぼうぎょうnounA less common word for sabotage, essentially a synonym of 怠業: deliberately slowing or disrupting work. It is seldom the word you want; 怠業 does the job.
- 妨害工作ぼうがいこうさくnounCovers sabotage as an organized, typically covert operation to obstruct or disrupt an adversary's activities or systems — obstruction rather than outright destruction, as in military or intelligence contexts.
- 破壊工作はかいこうさくnounCovers sabotage in the destructive sense: organized operations to destroy or damage an adversary's facilities or systems, and by extension subversive activities; typical of war and espionage reporting.
Use 妨害 for obstructing or thwarting plans and efforts, 怠業 for deliberate slowdowns at work, 妨害工作 for organized covert disruption, 破壊工作 for outright destruction, and treat 妨業 as a less common near-synonym of 怠業.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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