Translation guide
In Japanese, the concept of 'jail' is expressed through words for the physical facility, the act of being imprisoned, and related legal terms. The most common word is 刑務所 (prison), but other terms like 拘置所 (detention center) and 留置所 (police jail) are used depending on context. Verbs like 投獄する (to imprison) and phrases like 刑務所に入る (to go to jail) are also important.
Referring to a prison or jail as a facility where criminals are held.
The standard word for 'prison' or 'jail' as a facility. Used for convicted criminals serving sentences.
彼は刑務所に5年間いた。
He was in jail for five years.
A more formal or literary term for 'prison'. Often used in legal contexts or older texts.
監獄法が改正された。
The Prison Act was revised.
An old-fashioned or colloquial term for 'jail'. Can sound rustic or historical.
昔の牢屋は暗くて狭かった。
Old jails were dark and cramped.
Referring to a facility where suspects are held before trial or for short-term detention.
A detention center for suspects awaiting trial. Distinct from 刑務所, which is for convicted prisoners.
容疑者は拘置所に移送された。
The suspect was transferred to the detention center.
A police jail or holding cell where suspects are kept for a short period, usually at a police station.
Expressing the action of being sent to or being in jail.
Literally 'to enter prison'. The most common way to say 'to go to jail'.
彼は詐欺で刑務所に入った。
He went to jail for fraud.
Passive form of 投獄する (to imprison). Means 'to be imprisoned' or 'to be thrown in jail'.
彼は無実の罪で投獄された。
He was jailed for a crime he didn't commit.
Formal term meaning 'to be imprisoned' or 'to be incarcerated'. Used in news or legal contexts.
犯人はすぐに収監された。
The criminal was immediately jailed.
Expressing the act of putting someone in jail.
To imprison or throw someone in jail. Can be used in active voice.
裁判官は彼を投獄した。
The judge jailed him.
Formal term for 'to imprison' or 'to incarcerate'.
当局は容疑者を収監した。
The authorities jailed the suspect.
Referring to the punishment of being in jail for a period of time.
Imprisonment with hard labor. A common legal term for a prison sentence.
彼は懲役3年の判決を受けた。
He was sentenced to three years in jail.
Imprisonment without hard labor. A less common legal term.
刑務所 is for convicted criminals serving sentences. 拘置所 is for suspects awaiting trial. 留置所 is a short-term holding facility at a police station. Using the wrong term can cause confusion.
彼は刑務所ではなく拘置所にいる。
He is in a detention center, not a prison.
English often uses 'jail' as a verb (e.g., 'He was jailed'). In Japanese, use phrases like 刑務所に入る or verbs like 投獄される. Directly translating 'jail' as a verb (e.g., ジェイルする) is not natural.
彼は刑務所で10年過ごした。
He spent ten years in jail.
彼女は窃盗で刑務所に送られた。
She was sent to jail for theft.
その刑務所は過密状態だった。
The jail was overcrowded.
He was put in a police jail overnight.
A jail sentence without labor was handed down.