罪

JLPT N3

Crime, guilt

Readings

On’yomi: ザイ (zai)

Kun’yomi: つみ (tsumi)

• つみ – crime, sin, fault, guilt

Structure

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Detailed Explanation

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Mnemonic

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Etymology

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Visual Tip

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Vocabulary

罪

つみ

crime

犯罪

はんざい

crime

無罪

むざい

innocence

有罪

ゆうざい

guilt

罪人

つみびと

sinner

Example Sentences

罪を犯します。

つみをおかします。

I commit a crime.

犯罪を防ぎます。

はんざいをふせぎます。

We prevent crime.

無罪です。

むざいです。

He is innocent.

有罪判決です。

ゆうざいはんけつです。

It is a guilty verdict.

罪人です。

つみびとです。

He is a sinner.

Cultural Note

🙏 In Japanese culture, 罪 carries both legal and spiritual meanings.
• In Buddhism and Shinto, 罪 (つみ) refers to spiritual impurity or wrongdoing, which can be cleansed through rituals such as お祓い (oharai).
• In law, it directly means crime or offense.
• Phrases like 罪を償う (つみをつぐなう) — “to atone for a crime” — express the cultural emphasis on responsibility and moral balance.