Translation guide
The English verb 'confine' has several distinct uses: to physically restrict someone's movement, to limit something to within certain boundaries, or to keep someone in a place. Japanese expresses these with different verbs and patterns depending on the nuance.
To keep a person or animal in a restricted space, often against their will.
The most common and natural way to say 'confine' in the sense of locking someone in a room or keeping them trapped.
彼は子供を部屋に閉じ込めた。
He confined the child to the room.
猫を地下室に閉じ込めないでください。
Please don't confine the cat in the basement.
A more formal term for confining someone, often used in legal or criminal contexts (e.g., false imprisonment).
彼は誘拐され、監禁された。
He was kidnapped and confined.
To forcibly push someone into a confined space. More physical and aggressive than 閉じ込める.
彼は犯人を車に押し込めた。
He forced the criminal into the car.
To restrict an activity, topic, or thing to a particular area, range, or scope.
To limit or restrict something to a specific range, area, or condition. Very common and versatile.
議論をその問題に限定しよう。
Let's confine the discussion to that issue.
この病気は特定の地域に限定されている。
This disease is confined to a specific region.
To restrict or place limits on something. Often used for rules, freedom, or quantity.
彼の行動は厳しく制限されている。
His activities are strictly confined.
To keep something within a certain limit; often used in the pattern ～にとどめる.
To make someone stay in a particular place, often due to illness or circumstances.
Used when someone voluntarily or involuntarily stays inside and doesn't go out. Often used for being confined to one's home.
彼は病気で家に閉じこもっている。
He is confined to his house due to illness.
A straightforward way to say 'cannot leave' a place, implying confinement.
彼女は病院から出られない。
She is confined to the hospital.
閉じ込める is the everyday word for locking someone in a room or trapping them. 監禁する is a formal, legal term for false imprisonment or holding someone captive.
子供を部屋に閉じ込めるのはよくない。
It's not good to confine a child in a room.
彼は監禁罪で逮捕された。
He was arrested for false imprisonment.
When you want to say 'confine' in the sense of 'limit the scope', avoid literal translations like 閉じ込める. Use 限定する or 制限する instead.
被害を最小限にとどめる。
Confine the damage to a minimum.