Japanese word

詐欺

Pronunciation

Romajisagi

Meaning

  • nounscam

Example

そのメールは詐欺かもしれません。so no mē ru wa sa gi ka mo shi re ma se n

That email might be a scam.

Illustration for 詐欺 (scam)

More examples

その電話は詐欺かもしれないので、折り返さないでください。so no den wa wa sa gi ka mo shi re na i no de o ri kae sa na i de ku da sa i

That call might be a scam, so please do not call back.

Core concept

Describes a deceptive act that takes money or other benefits by making someone believe something untrue.

Common phrases

  • 詐欺に遭うsa gi ni a u

    fall victim to a scam

  • 詐欺を見抜くsa gi o mi nu ku

    spot a scam

  • 詐欺を防ぐsa gi o fuse gu

    prevent a scam

Similar words

ペテンpeten: A deceptive trick used to fool someone for money or another benefit.
騙しdamashi: An act of deceiving someone by making a false situation seem real.
いかさまikasama: A dishonest trick or false claim used to gain an advantage.

Definition in Japanese

人をだまして金銭や利益を得る不正な行為。hito o da ma shi te kin sen ya ri eki o e ru fu sei na kō i

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese word 詐欺 (sagi) combines 詐 (sa, "deception") and 欺 (gi, "deceive").

Usage tips

  • English uses scam for a deceptive scheme, while fraud often sounds more formal and emphasizes the wrongdoing, a useful distinction when discussing 詐欺 (sagi).

Other meanings

  • fraudnoun

Related words

  • 詐欺師sagishiscammernoun

Word lists with this word