How to say "steal" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 盗むぬすむgodan verb, transitive verbThe general verb for stealing: taking money, goods, or anything that is not yours, usually covertly or without permission. This is the word you want for theft in ordinary contexts.何冊かの本が盗まれた。↗A number of books were stolen.
- 盗塁とうるいnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbA baseball term only: a stolen base, or the act of stealing a base. It is never the word for theft in general; for that, 盗む is the appropriate choice.
- 奪ううばうgodan verb, transitive verbCenters on taking something away by force or snatching it from someone; 'steal' here means depriving a person of something rather than covert theft. Choose it when force or seizure is the point.
- godan verb, transitive verbSuggests grabbing or snatching something away from someone, often roughly or by force; it is not the neutral word for theft, and it is usually written in kana alone. For ordinary stealing, use 盗む.
Use 「盗む」 for stealing in general, 盗塁 only for the baseball sense of a stolen base, 「奪う」 when something is taken away by force, and 「ぶんどる」 for roughly snatching something from someone.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
- 盗むぬすむto steal
- 盗塁とうるいbase stealing
- 奪ううばうto take (by force)
- スチールsteal (baseball, basketball)
- かすめるto steal
- するto pickpocket
- 盗み出すぬすみだすto steal (from a person)
- パチるto steal
- 盗み取るぬすみとるto steal
- 盗るとるto steal
- 掠め取るかすめとるto snatch
- ふんだくるto snatch
- ひったくるto snatch (from someone)
- ぎるto swipe
- 儲けものもうけものgood bargain
- 抜き取るぬきとるto steal (the contents of something)
- 略すりゃくすto take
- ぶんどるto snatch away
- パクるto steal (an idea, work, etc.)
- ぶっこ抜くぶっこぬくto steal (e.g. personal information)
- 食い荒らすくいあらすto encroach upon
- 略するりゃくするto take
- 手をかけるてをかけるto make off with
- 取るとるto take away
- 抜くぬくto pilfer
- 手を出すてをだすto take
See also
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