How to say "sentence" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 文ぶんnounA sentence as a unit of writing or speech, as in grammar, composition, or translation. This is the everyday word you want when talking about a sentence of text, such as one in an essay or textbook.
- 宣告せんこくnoun, suru verb, transitive verbA sentence in the legal sense of a court's pronouncement or verdict. It points to the formal declaration of a judgment, not to a string of words, and not simply to the penalty itself.
- 句くnoun, noun (suffix)Chiefly means a section, passage, or paragraph of text. Although glossed as sentence, it is often not the natural choice for a complete sentence; 文 is usually what you want in that sense.
- 刑けいnoun, noun (suffix)A sentence in the legal sense of the penalty or punishment itself, such as what is imposed on a convicted person. It names the punishment, not the act of announcing it or the text of a ruling.
- 言い渡しいいわたしnounA sentence as the pronouncement or delivery of a judgment. It emphasizes the act of handing down a sentence or ruling rather than the penalty or the wording itself.
Use 文 for a sentence of text; for the legal sense, 刑 names the penalty itself, while 宣告 and 「言い渡し」 refer to the pronouncement of judgment; 句 chiefly means a section of text.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
- 文ぶんsentence
- 宣告せんこくsentence
- 句くsection (i.e. of text)
- 刑けいpenalty
- 言い渡しいいわたしsentence
- 刑罰けいばつ(criminal) punishment
- 言い渡すいいわたすto announce
- 判決はんけつjudicial decision
- 審判しんぱんjudgement
- センテンスsentence
- 完結文かんけつぶんsentence
- 刑に処するけいにしょするto sentence
- 罪するつみするto charge
- 文章ぶんしょうsentence
- 罪つみpenalty
- 処するしょするto sentence
- 沙汰さたverdict
- 文もんletter
- 処すしょすto sentence
See also
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