Translation guide
A person without a settled home or regular work who wanders from place to place. In Japanese, the most common and neutral term is ホームレス, but this is a loanword for 'homeless' and may not fully capture the wandering aspect. For a more traditional or literary sense of a wanderer, 浮浪者 is used, though it can carry negative connotations. Other terms exist for specific contexts like wanderers, drifters, or beggars.
Referring to someone without a fixed residence, often living on the streets. This is the most common modern usage.
Loanword from English 'homeless'. Widely understood and relatively neutral. It emphasizes lack of housing rather than wandering.
駅の近くにホームレスの人が何人かいます。
There are several homeless people near the station.
Literally 'person living on the street'. A more descriptive and slightly formal term, often used in news reports.
路上生活者への支援活動が行われている。
Support activities for street dwellers are being carried out.
Describing someone who wanders without a home or job, often implying vagrancy or loitering. This sense is older and can be derogatory.
Traditional term for a vagrant or drifter. Often used in legal or historical contexts. Can sound harsh or judgmental in casual speech.
昔、浮浪者が公園に集まっていた。
In the past, vagrants used to gather in the park.
Literally 'wanderer'. Can refer to a vagrant but also to a traveler or nomad. Less negative than 浮浪者, but still implies lack of fixed abode.
German-derived word for 'tramp' or 'beggar'. Dated and often derogatory. Rarely used today except in historical contexts.
Specifically someone who begs for money or food, often homeless. This overlaps with vagrant but focuses on begging.
General term for a beggar. Can be used for anyone who begs, not necessarily homeless.
駅前で物乞いをしている人を見かけた。
I saw a person begging in front of the station.
Direct term for beggar. Can be considered derogatory; use with caution. Often appears in historical or literary contexts.
A person who wanders freely, often by choice, with a romantic or adventurous connotation. Not necessarily homeless or poor.
A wanderer or vagabond, often with a carefree or mysterious image. Used in literature and film.
彼は風来坊のように突然現れて、去っていった。
He appeared suddenly like a vagabond and then left.
Literary term for a wanderer or drifter. Emphasizes the act of wandering without a destination.
彼は生涯を漂泊者として生きた。
He lived his life as a wanderer.
In modern Japanese law, the term 'vagrant' is not commonly used. Instead, terms like ホームレス or 路上生活者 are preferred for homeless individuals. 浮浪者 can appear in older laws but may be considered outdated or discriminatory.
ホームレス is a neutral, modern term focusing on lack of housing. 浮浪者 implies wandering and often carries a negative judgment. Use ホームレス unless you specifically mean a drifter or want a historical tone.
彼は放浪者のように国中を旅した。
He traveled across the country like a vagabond.
戦後、街にはルンペンがあふれていた。
After the war, the streets were full of tramps.
乞食に小銭をあげた。
I gave some change to a beggar.