Translation guide
Money paid to keep someone silent, often about a secret or wrongdoing.
The general concept of paying someone to stay quiet about something, often illegal or embarrassing.
The most direct and common term for hush money. Literally 'mouth-stopping fee'.
He received 1 million yen as hush money.
A slightly more casual way to say hush money, using お金 (money) instead of 料 (fee).
I paid hush money to keep the secret.
A formal term used in legal or business contexts, literally 'confidentiality maintenance fee'.
The contract specified the payment of a confidentiality fee.
Emphasizing the illicit or corrupt nature of the payment.
Money paid to prevent a scandal or damaging information from becoming public.
The literal translation '静か金' (shizukakane) does not exist in Japanese. Always use the terms above.
口止め料 specifically means money paid to keep someone quiet, while 賄賂 is a broader term for bribe. In many contexts, 口止め料 is a type of 賄賂, but 賄賂 can be for any illicit favor.
He demanded a bribe for his silence.
The politician misused cover-up funds.