Translation guide
The act of secretly entering or becoming part of a group, organization, or place, often for espionage, subversion, or gradual permeation.
To describe the act of secretly entering an enemy base, territory, or organization for intelligence or sabotage.
The most common and direct translation for covert infiltration, used in espionage, military, and police contexts.
The spy infiltrated the enemy country.
The police officer conducted an undercover infiltration of the criminal organization.
Literally 'permeation', used for gradual infiltration of ideas, influence, or agents into a group or society. Often implies a slower, more subtle process.
Enemy spies have infiltrated the government.
To sneak into a place, emphasizing stealthy physical entry. More casual than 潜入.
The burglar infiltrated the house at night.
To describe something spreading or seeping into a substance, group, or culture over time.
Used for liquids permeating a material, or for ideas, culture, or influence gradually spreading.
Water infiltrates the soil.
To soak into, often used for liquids or abstract things like habits or feelings. More everyday than 浸透.
A variant kanji for 浸透, sometimes used in scientific contexts for osmosis or diffusion. Rare in everyday use.
To describe unauthorized access or hacking into a digital system.
To describe the medical procedure of injecting a substance into tissue.
潜入 (sennyū) emphasizes the act of secretly entering a place, often for espionage. 浸透 (shintō) emphasizes gradual permeation or spreading, whether physical or abstract. Use 潜入 for spy infiltration, 浸透 for influence or liquid seepage.
潜入 implies a person or agent secretly entering. For water soaking into the ground, use 浸透 or 染み込む.
New ideas infiltrated society.
雨が地面に染み込んだ。
The rain infiltrated the ground.
滲透圧の実験を行った。
We conducted an experiment on osmotic pressure.
Literally 'unauthorized access', the legal/technical term for hacking into a system.
He was arrested for unauthorized infiltration of the system.