Japanese Conversation · Level 71
75 words
Japanese word
刑務所
Pronunciation
Romajikeimusho
Meaning
- nounprison
Example
彼女は刑務所で働いています。kano jo wa kei mu sho de hatara i te i ma su
She works in a prison.
More examples
彼は無実の罪で刑務所に入れられました。kare wa mu jitsu no tsumi de kei mu sho ni i re ra re ma shi ta
He was sent to prison for a crime he did not commit.
Core concept
Describes an institution that confines people under legal authority and restricts their freedom within the justice system.
Common phrases
刑務所に入るkei mu sho ni hai ru
enter prison
刑務所から出るkei mu sho ka ra de ru
leave prison
刑務所で働くkei mu sho de hatara ku
work in a prison
Similar words
監獄kangoku: A prison, often used in formal or historical contexts.
拘置所kōchisho: A facility that holds suspects or defendants before trial or sentencing.
留置場ryūchijō: A police detention facility for holding suspects for a limited time.
Definition in Japanese
犯罪をした者などを法令に基づいて収容し、自由を制限する施設。han zai o shi ta mono na do o hō rei ni moto zu i te shū yō shi ji yū o sei gen su ru shi setsu
Word origin
刑務所 (keimusho) is a Sino-Japanese compound of 刑 (kei, "punishment"), 務 (mu, "duty"), and 所 (sho, "place"), meaning a place for carrying out penal duties.
Usage tips
- In US English, jail usually refers to a local facility for short-term or pretrial detention, whereas prison usually refers to a state or federal facility for longer sentences.
Other meanings
- penitentiarynoun