Translation guide
Romantic or sexual relationships that are forbidden, secret, or socially unacceptable. In Japanese, this concept is expressed through specific nouns and phrases that emphasize secrecy, immorality, or social taboo.
A love affair that must be kept hidden, often due to social rules or existing commitments.
He was involved in an illicit love affair.
They got divorced because of an affair.
A more formal or literary term for secret communication or illicit intercourse, often used in historical or legal contexts. It emphasizes the clandestine nature of the relationship.
The illicit affair was exposed and became a huge scandal.
Literally 'forbidden love'. This phrase is often used in fiction or dramatic contexts to describe a love that is taboo, such as between teacher and student, or between siblings.
It was a forbidden love.
A legal or formal term for adultery. It is rarely used in everyday conversation and carries a strong negative connotation.
The crime of adultery was abolished.
A love that is considered morally wrong or brings shame, not necessarily involving marriage.
A poetic phrase meaning 'love that is not on the right path'. It implies a love that goes against moral or social expectations, often used in literature or drama.
The two fell into an illicit love.
Means 'scandal' and can be used in the context of an illicit love affair that becomes public. It focuses on the disgrace rather than the relationship itself.
The direct translation '不正な愛' (fusei na ai) is not natural Japanese and sounds like a legal term. Use the specific terms above depending on the context.
不倫 (furin) specifically refers to an extramarital affair or a socially forbidden relationship, often with a serious tone. 浮気 (uwaki) means 'cheating' or 'infidelity' and can be used for less serious flings or even non-sexual wandering eyes. 浮気 is more colloquial and common in everyday speech.
He is a philanderer.
An affair can lead to divorce.
その不倫は大きな醜聞となった。
That affair became a big scandal.