Translation guide
The English phrase 'tamper with' means to interfere with something, often in a way that is unauthorized, harmful, or dishonest. It can refer to physical objects, documents, evidence, or systems. This guide organizes the most common Japanese expressions by the specific nuance of 'tampering'.
To touch, move, or alter something without permission, often causing damage or malfunction.
General word for touching, fiddling with, or tampering with something. Can be neutral or negative depending on context.
誰かが私のパソコンをいじったみたいだ。
It looks like someone tampered with my computer.
エアコンを勝手にいじらないでください。
Please don't tamper with the air conditioner without permission.
Literally 'add a hand', meaning to modify or alter something, often with a nuance of unauthorized changes.
書類に手を加えた形跡がある。
There are signs that someone tampered with the documents.
Kanji form of いじる, less common in everyday writing but seen in formal or literary contexts.
装置を弄る行為は禁止されています。
Tampering with the equipment is prohibited.
To change or falsify documents, accounts, or digital information in a dishonest way.
Specifically means to falsify or tamper with documents, data, or records. Strongly negative and often used in legal or business contexts.
彼は帳簿を改ざんした疑いで逮捕された。
He was arrested on suspicion of tampering with the accounts.
証拠を改ざんするのは重罪です。
Tampering with evidence is a serious crime.
Means to forge or counterfeit. Used when tampering involves creating fake documents or signatures.
契約書を偽造するのは犯罪です。
Tampering with a contract by forging it is a crime.
Literally 'do handiwork', but can imply tampering or rigging something in a dishonest way, like fixing a game or device.
彼は投票箱に細工をした。
He tampered with the ballot box.
To meddle with a mechanism, election, or natural course of events.
Means to interfere or meddle. Used for tampering with processes, elections, or affairs, often by an outside party.
外国が選挙に干渉したと非難された。
They were accused of tampering with the election.
To intervene or step in, often with a nuance of unwanted interference.
政府が市場に介入するべきではない。
The government should not tamper with the market.
To add something harmful to food or drink secretly.
Means to mix something into a substance, often used for contaminating food or drink.
飲み物に毒物を混入した疑いがある。
There is suspicion that someone tampered with the drink by adding poison.
Specifically means to poison someone by putting poison in food or drink.
彼はスープに毒を盛った。
He tampered with the soup by poisoning it.
There is no single Japanese verb that covers all uses of 'tamper with'. Using a direct translation like タンパーする is not Japanese. Always choose the word that matches the specific action (e.g., いじる for physical meddling, 改ざんする for falsifying records).
いじる is a general, everyday word for touching or fiddling with something, and can be used for harmless actions. 改ざんする is a formal, serious term for falsifying documents or data and always implies illegality or dishonesty.
子供がおもちゃをいじっている。
The child is playing with the toy. (not tampering)
データを改ざんする。
to tamper with data (falsify)