IntroductionLesson 1Lesson 2Movie GuideUseful Words

Yakuza Vocabulary: 語彙

NoteJapanese-EnglishEnglish-Japanese

Vocabulary Note:
The following words are frequently used in yakuza movies.  This is by no means a comprehensive list, but should help make movies easier to understand.  Some words that seem strange are merely gyaku-go, or reversed words.  For example, 場所 (place) becomes ショバ, and the meaning remains the same. The name of this site, jingai, is just an inversion of gaijin (foreigner).  Other words may just be from the Kansai dialect.  The best Kansai dictionary is here.  If you come across yakuza words not in this guide, or know of other useful words, please email jingai@jingai.com.

Japanese-English Vocabulary

あ
うざい- annoying
女マワす(おんなまわす）-gangbang, literally "pass a girl around"
 
さ
サバク- to sell something
娑婆 (しゃば)- the world outside of prison
シャブ- general term for drugs, or specifically methamphetamines
借金 (しゃっきん)-debt (借金する means to borrow money)
商売 (しょうばい)- a racket, a business
 
か
カタギ- a non-yakuza worker, not to be confused with かたき (enemy)
    example: カタギのやつに手を出すな！ Don't mess with ordinary people!
かためて沈める- to encase someone in concrete and drown them- the equivalent of concrete boots.
破落戸 (ごろつき)- a hoodlum or blackmailer
 
た
ダチコ- pals
チャカ- gun
鉄砲玉 (てっぽうだま)- someone who is on a one-way path to prison or the grave
    example: 敵の鉄砲玉が親分を殺した。 An out-of-control punk killed our godfather.
ドス- dagger
 
な
任侠 (にんきょう)- chivalry, or traditional yakuza values
    example: 任侠映画- traditional yakuza movies
 
は
ハメル- a very versatile word which generally means to commit (犯す), but also to beat up, rape, etc.
ふざける- to joke or mess around
    example: ふざけるな！Don't fuck around!  Sean Connery mangles this with his thick Scottish accent in Rising Sun
 
ま
モク- as in smoke, or cigarette
    example: モクくれや.  Give me a smoke.
 
や
ら
わ

English-Japanese Vocabulary

cop-ポリ公、サツ、ポリ
I- 己 (おのれ)
punk: チンピラ, ごろつき、したっぱ、ぐれんたい
you- われ、ボケ、カス、しね、てめぇ、キサマ、キサン

Time to Watch Some Gangster Movies!