Translation guide
The act of running away secretly to get married, often without parental approval. In Japanese, this is expressed through specific nouns and verbs, with nuances of romance, scandal, or practicality.
To run away together to get married, typically due to opposition or to avoid a formal ceremony.
The most common and direct term for elopement, implying a romantic escape to marry.
To flee together for a romantic purpose, not necessarily marriage, or to escape a situation.
駆け落ち specifically implies elopement for marriage, often with a romantic or rebellious nuance. 逃避行 is broader, meaning 'flight' or 'escape journey', and can be used for any couple running away together, not necessarily to marry.
In modern Japan, elopement is less common but still appears in dramas and literature. The term 駆け落ち carries a slightly old-fashioned, romanticized feel.
二人は駆け落ちして結婚した。
The two eloped and got married.
The verb form, meaning 'to elope'.
彼らは親に反対されて駆け落ちした。
They eloped because their parents opposed the marriage.
Literally 'elopement marriage', emphasizing the marriage aspect.
駆け落ち婚はロマンチックだと思う人もいる。
Some people think elopement marriages are romantic.
A more literary term for running away together, often used in dramatic or romantic contexts, not always for marriage.
二人の逃避行は新聞で大きく報じられた。
Their elopement was widely reported in the newspapers.
Used to describe a situation that is practically an elopement, even if not formally so.
彼らは駆け落ち同然で家を出た。
They left home as if eloping.