Translation guide
Describes a person who engages in rowdy, violent, or destructive behavior, often in a group. Japanese has several terms ranging from general troublemakers to specific subculture groups.
To refer to a person who causes trouble, fights, or acts violently in public, similar to a thug or hoodlum.
Common term for a juvenile delinquent or young troublemaker. Often used for teenagers in gangs or causing mischief.
あの不良たちは夜の公園で騒いでいる。
Those hooligans are making noise in the park at night.
Literally 'violent person'. Refers to someone who is rough, aggressive, or prone to violence.
彼は酒に酔うと乱暴者になる。
He turns into a hooligan when he's drunk.
Slang for a young punk, hoodlum, or low-level yakuza member. Implies petty criminality and posturing.
駅前でチンピラがたむろしている。
Some hooligans are hanging around in front of the station.
A ruffian, rowdy, or street tough. Slightly old-fashioned, often used in fiction.
酒場でごろつき同士の喧嘩が始まった。
A fight broke out between hooligans at the bar.
Specifically a violent or rowdy supporter of a sports team, especially in the context of European football.
Direct loanword from English, widely understood in the context of soccer hooliganism.
その試合の後、フーリガンが暴動を起こした。
After the match, hooligans started a riot.
Explicitly 'soccer hooligan'. Used when clarity is needed.
イギリスではサッカーフーリガンが問題になっている。
Soccer hooligans are a problem in England.
To describe a person belonging to a specific youth subculture known for loud, aggressive, or anti-social behavior, such as the 'yankii' or 'bosozoku'.
Refers to a Japanese youth subculture of delinquents, often with distinctive fashion (e.g., pompadours, long skirts). Not exactly 'hooligan' but shares the rowdy, rebellious image.
夜のコンビニにヤンキーが集まっている。
Some hooligans are hanging out at the convenience store at night.
Biker gang known for reckless driving and noise. Often considered a type of hooligan on motorcycles.
While フーリガン is understood, in Japanese sports culture the phenomenon is less common, so the term may sound foreign. For domestic rowdy fans, サポーター (supporter) with context like 暴れる (to act violently) is more natural.
不良 is a general term for juvenile delinquents. ヤンキー refers to a specific subculture with a distinct style. チンピラ implies petty criminality and is often associated with low-level yakuza. Choose based on the nuance you need.
不良のグループが公園を荒らした。
A group of hooligans vandalized the park.
彼はサッカーの試合でフーリガン行為により逮捕された。
He was arrested for hooliganism at the football match.
暴走族が夜中に爆音を立てて走っている。
Hooligans on bikes are roaring around in the middle of the night.