Translation guide
In Japanese, the concept of an illegitimate child is expressed through specific legal and social terms. The most common and neutral term is 非嫡出子, used in legal contexts. More colloquial or historical terms exist but carry different nuances. This guide covers the main expressions, from formal to informal, and highlights important cultural and legal context.
To refer to a child born outside of marriage in a formal, legal, or neutral context.
The standard legal term for a child born to parents who are not married. It is neutral and used in official documents and discussions about family law.
非嫡出子の相続権について議論されている。
The inheritance rights of illegitimate children are being discussed.
Literally 'child outside marriage'. A somewhat more direct term than 非嫡出子, also used in legal and social contexts. It can sound slightly more blunt.
婚外子に対する差別は許されない。
Discrimination against children born out of wedlock is unacceptable.
To describe a child born outside of marriage in everyday conversation, often focusing on the parents' marital status.
A descriptive phrase meaning 'a child born to an unmarried mother'. This is a neutral and clear way to express the concept without using potentially loaded single words.
彼女は未婚の母から生まれた子だ。
She is a child born to an unmarried mother.
Literally 'a child with a different father'. Used when the child's father is not the mother's husband. This phrase can be sensitive and should be used carefully.
This phrase can be hurtful or imply stigma; use only when necessary and with care.
彼は父親が違う子として育てられた。
He was raised as a child with a different father.
To understand or recognize older or pejorative terms for illegitimate children, often encountered in historical contexts or literature.
An older term for an illegitimate child, now considered dated and potentially derogatory. It is rarely used in modern polite conversation but may appear in historical texts.
This term is outdated and can be offensive. Avoid using it in contemporary speech.
彼は私生児として差別を受けた。
He faced discrimination as an illegitimate child.
Literally 'fallen child', a very old-fashioned and derogatory term for an illegitimate child. It is almost never used today except in historical or literary contexts.
Extremely derogatory and archaic. Do not use.
In Japan, as in many cultures, the concept of illegitimacy carries historical stigma. Modern legal reforms have reduced discrimination, but social attitudes may still vary. When discussing this topic, it is safest to use neutral descriptive phrases or the legal term 非嫡出子. Avoid older terms like 私生児 or 落とし子 unless referring to historical contexts.
In Japanese family law, the term 非嫡出子 is used to distinguish children born within marriage (嫡出子) from those born outside it. Inheritance rights for non-marital children were equalized in 2013, but the terminology remains in legal documents.
その落とし子は村で冷遇された。
The illegitimate child was treated coldly in the village.