How to say "trafficking" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 売買ばいばいnoun, suru verb, transitive verbCovers trafficking as the buying and selling itself — dealing in humans, arms, or drugs. The word is neutral for 'trade'; the criminal coloring comes from what is being traded.
- 密売みつばいnoun, suru verb, transitive verbTrafficking where the point is that the selling itself is illicit and hidden: illicit sale, smuggling, bootlegging. Typical contexts are reports on smuggling or bootlegging operations.
Use 売買 for trafficking understood as dealing — buying and selling — in humans, arms, or drugs, and 密売 when you want to stress that the selling itself is illicit, as with smuggling or bootlegging.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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