How to say "unarmed" in Japanese

• 丸腰まるごしCommon
  no-adjectiveThe common word for a person with no weapon on them. Use it when someone faces an attacker, is captured, or otherwise has no weapon to defend themselves with.
  その兵士へいしは丸腰まるごしの兵士へいしを撃うつことを潔いさぎよしとしなかった。↗

  The soldier disdained shooting an unarmed enemy.
• 無腰むごし
  nounA less common synonym of 丸腰 with the same no-weapon sense. For an unarmed person it is seldom the word you want; 丸腰 is what you will normally meet.
• 無手むて
  no-adjectiveCovers unarmed but also lacking funds, so it can suggest being without money or resources rather than literally carrying no weapon; for a weaponless person 丸腰 is the safer choice.
• 素手ですでで
  adverbEmpty-handed or barehanded: it describes acting with bare hands, striking, grabbing, or fighting without a weapon. Choose it when unarmed tells how something is done rather than that a person merely has no weapon.
• 非武装ひぶそう
  no-adjectiveThe military and political term: demilitarized or weaponless forces, groups, and zones. For an individual person who simply has no weapon, 丸腰 is the natural choice.

Use 丸腰 for a person carrying no weapon, 「素手で」 for acting barehanded, and 非武装 for demilitarized forces or zones; 無腰 and 無手 are less common choices, and 無手 also means lacking funds.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 丸腰まるごしunarmed
• 無腰むごしunarmed
• 無手むてempty-handed
• 素手ですででempty-handed
• 非武装ひぶそうdemilitarized