Japanese word

スパイ

Pronunciation

Romajisupai

Meaning

  • nounspy

Example

彼はスパイです。kare wa su pa i de su

He is a spy.

Illustration for スパイ (spy)

More examples

警察はその男をスパイだと疑っています。kei satsu wa so no otoko o su pa i da to utaga tte i ma su

The police suspect that the man is a spy.

Core concept

Names a person who works covertly to discover information that another person, group, or country wants to keep secret.

Common phrases

  • スパイを捕まえるsu pa i o tsuka ma e ru

    catch a spy

  • スパイを見張るsu pa i o mi ha ru

    watch a spy

  • スパイになるsu pa i ni na ru

    become a spy

Similar words

諜報員chōhōin: A person employed to obtain secret information for a government or organization.
密偵mittei: A person who secretly observes an opposing side and reports the information obtained.
間者kanja: A person who enters an opposing side to obtain information secretly.
工作員kōsakuin: A person who performs covert tasks on behalf of a political or military organization.

Definition in Japanese

正体を隠して、他人や組織の秘密の情報を探り出す者。shō tai o kaku shi te ta nin ya so shiki no hi mitsu no jō hō o sagu ri da su mono

Word origin

The word スパイ (supai, "spy") is borrowed from English spy, a word that passed into English through Old French espier and has Germanic roots.

Usage tips

  • The Japanese noun スパイ (supai) refers to a person, but English spy is also used as a verb for secretly watching someone or something.

Word lists with this word