Japanese word

証人

Pronunciation

Romajishōnin

Meaning

  • nounwitness

Example

警察は証人に話を聞きました。kei satsu wa shō nin ni hanashi o ki ki ma shi ta

The police talked to the witness.

Illustration for 証人 (witness)

More examples

彼は裁判で証人として呼ばれました。kare wa sai ban de shō nin to shi te yo ba re ma shi ta

He was called as a witness in court.

Core concept

Describes a person whose direct experience makes their account relevant to establishing what happened.

Common phrases

  • 証人になるshō nin ni na ru

    become a witness

  • 証人を呼ぶshō nin o yo bu

    call a witness

Similar words

目撃者mokugekisha: A person who directly saw an event take place.
証言者shōgensha: A person who states what they know about an event, often in a formal setting.

Definition in Japanese

事件や事実を直接見聞きし、その内容を証言する人。ji ken ya ji jitsu o choku setsu mi ki ki shi so no nai yō o shō gen su ru hito

Word origin

証人 (shōnin) is formed from 証 (shō, "proof") and 人 (nin, "person"), so its structure points to a person connected with proof through testimony.

Usage tips

  • The common word eyewitness highlights the firsthand sense of witness by specifying that the person saw the event with their own eyes.

Word lists with this word