Translation guide
The English verb "kill" covers a wide range of meanings, from causing death to stopping something or wasting time. This guide organizes the most useful Japanese expressions by intended meaning, with a focus on natural usage and common pitfalls.
To cause the death of a living being, intentionally or accidentally.
The most common and general verb for 'kill'. Can be used for people, animals, and figuratively. Transitive verb.
He killed the man.
I killed a mosquito.
Formal/written term for 'kill', often used in news or legal contexts. Implies intentional homicide.
Literally 'cause to die'. Can be used for accidental death or when the subject is not directly killing. Softer than 殺す.
Literary/poetic expression meaning 'take a life'. Used in dramatic or emotional contexts.
The war killed many people (took many lives).
To stop, cancel, or put an end to a process, plan, or activity.
Literally 'crush' or 'smash', but used idiomatically to mean 'kill' as in stop or waste. Often used with 時間 (time) or 話 (story/conversation).
To cause great pain, discomfort, or extreme tiredness.
Pattern meaning '~ to death'. Used hyperbolically for pain, tiredness, etc. Very common in casual speech.
To affect someone so strongly with an emotion (especially laughter) that they are helpless.
Literally 'laugh to kill', meaning to make someone laugh extremely hard. Often used in passive form.
To finish a drink, especially an alcoholic one, often quickly.
Means 'to empty'. Used for finishing a drink. Can be used for 'kill a bottle'.
To defeat thoroughly, ruin, or destroy something non-living.
Using 殺す for 'kill' in the sense of stopping a plan or wasting time can sound like murder. Use context-appropriate verbs like つぶす, やめる, or 中止する.
kill time
殺す is the everyday word for 'kill'. 殺害する is formal and used in news or legal contexts. In casual conversation, 殺す is natural; 殺害する would sound stiff.
My feet are killing me.
The suspect confessed to killing the victim.
His carelessness killed her (caused her death).
I read a book to kill time.
His joke killed the conversation.
General verb for 'stop' or 'quit'. Can be used when 'kill' means to stop an activity or plan.
Direct translation '殺された' sounds like murder. Use やめさせられた or 中止になった.
The plan was killed (they were forced to stop it).
Formal term for 'cancel' or 'call off'. Suitable for events, projects.
The game was killed (cancelled) due to bad weather.
Means 'erase' or 'turn off'. Can be used for 'kill' in the sense of deleting or silencing something, like killing a sound or a light.
Please kill the volume.
My feet are killing me.
I'm dead tired (killed by exhaustion).
Used figuratively in casual speech to mean 'kill' as in cause extreme discomfort or ruin something.
These shoes are killing my feet.
His joke killed me (I laughed so hard).
Means 'laugh to death', similar hyperbolic expression.
That movie killed me (I laughed to death).
Let's kill another beer.
Means 'drink up' or 'drain'. Emphasizes finishing completely.
He killed the whiskey in one gulp.
Casual verb meaning 'beat' or 'defeat'. Can be used for 'kill' in games or competitions.
Let's kill the next boss.
Means 'defeat' or 'overthrow'. Common in games and sports.
I killed the enemy.
Formal word for 'destroy'. Used for objects or systems.
The bill was killed in committee.
He killed a person. (casual)
The suspect killed a person. (news)
To express 'killing' in the sense of extreme pain, tiredness, or laughter, use 死ぬほど (to the point of dying) or compound verbs like 笑い殺す. These are very common in casual Japanese.
I killed time at a café.