Translation guide
The English word "culprit" refers to the person or thing responsible for a crime, problem, or undesirable situation. In Japanese, the most common equivalent is 犯人 (はんにん) for a person who committed a crime, but other words and phrases are used depending on context, such as 原因 (げんいん) for the cause of a problem. This guide covers natural ways to express the idea of a culprit in various situations.
Referring to the individual who committed a criminal act, such as theft, murder, or fraud.
The standard word for a criminal or perpetrator. Used in news, police reports, and everyday conversation.
The police arrested the culprit.
The culprit hasn't been found yet.
Means 'suspect'. Use when the person is not yet proven guilty. Often used in news before a trial.
The suspect denies committing the crime.
An archaic or formal term for a perpetrator, often used in historical or legal contexts. Rare in modern speech.
The culprit fled.
Identifying the thing, factor, or person responsible for a non-criminal issue, such as a malfunction, mistake, or accident.
Means 'cause'. The most natural way to say something is the culprit behind a problem, especially for non-human causes.
The culprit behind the power outage was a lightning strike.
Can be used metaphorically for non-human culprits in casual or humorous contexts, but 原因 is more common for serious situations.
The culprit behind the messy room is the cat.
Lightly accusing someone of a small misdeed, like eating the last cookie or leaving a mess.
A natural, casual way to ask 'Who did this?' without directly saying 'culprit'. Often used in everyday situations.
Who's the culprit who ate the last cookie?
Playfully accusing someone as the culprit. Use only with close friends; can sound aggressive otherwise.
Using お前 (おまえ) is very informal and can be rude. Only use with close friends.
犯人 (はんにん) means 'culprit' or 'perpetrator' and implies guilt. 容疑者 (ようぎしゃ) means 'suspect' and is used before guilt is proven. In news, 容疑者 is used until conviction, then 犯人 may be used.
In English, 'culprit' is often used for non-human causes (e.g., 'The culprit was a loose wire'). In Japanese, using 犯人 for inanimate objects can sound odd or overly metaphorical. Use 原因 (げんいん) for natural expression.
We need to identify the culprit of this error.
Means 'ringleader' or 'main culprit'. Used for the person primarily responsible for a trouble or incident, often with a negative connotation.
He is the main culprit behind this turmoil.
You're the culprit behind this graffiti!