Translation guide
The English word 'detective' can refer to a person (police detective or private investigator) or the genre of detective fiction. In Japanese, different words are used depending on the context.
A police officer who investigates crimes
Standard term for a police detective. Used in formal and informal contexts.
彼は刑事です。
He is a detective.
刑事が現場に到着した。
The detective arrived at the scene.
More formal term for an investigator, often used in official contexts or for federal agents.
捜査官が証拠を集めている。
The detective is gathering evidence.
A person hired to investigate, not a police officer
The standard term for a private detective or investigator. Often associated with fictional detectives.
彼は私立探偵です。
He is a private detective.
探偵に調査を依頼した。
I hired a detective to investigate.
The genre of stories about detectives solving crimes
Literally 'detective novel', the standard term for the genre.
私は探偵小説が好きです。
I like detective novels.
Loanword from English 'mystery', commonly used for the broader mystery genre including detective stories.
Someone who investigates on their own, not professionally
Means 'playing detective' or acting as a detective, often used for amateurs.
彼は探偵役を買って出た。
He volunteered to play detective.
刑事 (keiji) is a police detective, while 探偵 (tantei) is a private detective. Using the wrong one can cause confusion. In fiction, 探偵 often refers to iconic characters like Sherlock Holmes, while 刑事 is used for police characters.
When talking about a specific detective, you can use their title + name, e.g., 刑事の田中さん (Detective Tanaka). For private detectives, 探偵の名前 (name) is common.
Explicitly 'private detective', used to distinguish from police detectives.
私立探偵の事務所を訪ねた。
I visited a private detective's office.
このミステリーは面白い。
This mystery is interesting.
Literally 'reasoning novel', emphasizes logical deduction. Often used interchangeably with 探偵小説.
推理小説を読むのが趣味です。
Reading detective novels is my hobby.